172 ELEMENTS OF ANGLING. 



no advice is to be had, he will not go far wrong 

 with a stock of the flies named in addition to his 

 ordinary wet flies. The sizes should vary accord- 

 ing to weather, big patterns being suited to a windy 

 -day, small ones to a calm. No. 6 will usually be 

 found quite big enough, and No. 2 quite small 

 enough. I have most of my loch flies tied on 

 Nos. 3 and 4 eyed hooks ; I find that they last 

 'better than flies on gut. Two or three flies can be 

 >used on the cast at the same time, as in stream 

 ffishing, the gut being proportionate to their size, 

 the size of the fish, and the state of weather and 

 water. 



Loch-fishing from a boat, for a novice, will 

 'depend entirely on the gillie and his geographical 

 knowledge. The angler will be told what flies to 

 put on and where to cast them, and, for the rest, luck 

 will decide the sport. Shore-fishing, which I much 

 prefer, is more interesting, since it makes greater 

 demands on independence, and also gives more 

 exercise. Unless -the wind is altogether too 

 violent, I fish the shore towards which it is 

 iblowing ; by casting diagonally out one can 

 usually cheat the wind, and when there is a good 

 ripple a very long line is not required. Trout 

 often have a convenient habit of feeding close to 

 the shore, sometimes, where there is enough water 



