8o SPINNING. 



judging from appearances, was likely to continue 

 for six weeks more. A slight change in the tem- 

 perature, which capped the loftier peaks with snow, 

 added greatly to the beauty of the scenery, but by 

 no means lowered the lake, the waters of which 

 spread over miles of meadow lying around it, and 

 almost laved the walls of the picturesque old castle 

 of Kilchurn. A lake, however, will fish more or 

 less at all times and under all circumstances, so I 

 determined to spin for a pike. My fisherman, one 

 Malcolm, a civil, sturdy Highlander, with a strong 

 predilection for whisky, very keen and well 

 skilled in his craft, led me, by a sloppy walk of 

 two miles, to the mouth of the " Orchy," the 

 largest of the rivers which empty themselves into 

 Loch Awe. Here we found a useful sort of boat 

 securely fastened by chain and padlock to a pro- 

 jecting alder. Malcolm produced the key, and 

 loosing the boat, after baling her out, for she was 

 half-full of water, we rowed for a mile or more 

 down-stream, and " commenced " fishing under the 

 walls of the old castle, but for some hours with 

 little success. Bad as the weather was, there was 

 evidently worse coming. The wind blew in gusts 

 and squalls, driving the mist and foam before it over 

 the troubled waters of the lake; the wild ducks 

 skimmed along close to the surface ; the gulls and 



