208 LOCH-FISHING. 



is generally the case, they are very dark-coloured 

 when caught, putting them in a white basin and 

 exposing them to the sun will improve their appear- 

 ance. Where the trout are very large, as in lochs 

 frequented by the Salmoferox, a quarter of a pound 

 trout will not make too large a bait. 



The rod for trolling need not be long, but it is 

 absolutely necessary that it should be stiff, as a 

 quantity of line with a heavy fish at the end of it 

 is a severe strain upon a rod, and in such circum- 

 stances a supple one would be quite unmanageable. 

 The reel should be large enough to contain at least 

 sixty or seventy yards of good strong line, as a 

 trout of ten or fifteen pounds will make a desperate 

 struggle, and test severely both the skill of the 

 angler and the boatman. After the ordinary line 

 there should be a strong triple-gut casting-line, 

 tapered from the line to where the trolling-tackle 

 is attached. The gut on which the hooks are tied 

 should be stronger than what is used for any other 

 trouting purpose, and almost as thick as that used 

 for salmon-fishing. This strong gut is so rarely 

 devoid of a white glossy appearance, and requires 

 to be stained so dark before it is divested of it, that 

 we prefer triple-gut twisted, which can be got very 

 fine, and it is not so easily seen as a single thread of 

 the same thickness. If there are pike in the loch 

 it will be necessary to tie the hooks on gimp, as 

 the teeth of that fish are very sharp, and will some- 

 times bite through triple-gut. Two lengths above 



