A TRUE HIGHLANDER. 231 



When you think you have created sufficient terror 

 by these means, you may look about for the fish, and 

 the sport begins. You may manage your boat with 

 the leister, as in burning by night, of which hereafter : 

 but you do not, as in that case, necessarily work her 

 broadside in front ; and one artist is sufficient for the 

 amusement, though more may partake of it. If the 

 leisterer knows the water well, he puts the boat gently 

 over the rocks and stones, where the fish endeavour to 

 conceal themselves. Sometimes they get under a large 

 stone and are entirely hidden ; generally they are 

 partially concealed under smaller stones, part of the 

 body and tail only being seen ; so that it requires some 

 dexterity to strike them properly, or indeed at all. 

 Some will lie under the shelf of a rock quite open to 

 the view ; in which case you must be careful, when 

 you strike, that a prong of the leister does not rest upon 

 the ledge of a rock above, instead of on the salmon. 

 Others I have seen lying fair and open in the bare 

 channel ; but these will not lie to the leister so well as 

 those in the situations I have mentioned. If you do 

 not strike a fish near the centre of his body, you are 

 never very sure of lifting him. The late Staffa, before 

 he came to his title, was once sunning the Pavilion- 

 water with John Lord Somerville, and perceiving that 

 the fisherman in their boat had struck a salmon that 

 was likely to get off the spear when he might attempt 

 to lift him ; in the true spirit of a Highlander, and 

 without saying a word to any one, plunged at once into 

 the Tweed with his clothes on, dived down to the fish, 

 and brought him into the boat with his hands. " A 



