A TRUE HIGHLANDER. 211 



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 broad- 

 side in front ; and one artist is sufficient for the amuse- 

 ment, 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 Highlander can 



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