2l8 APPLICATION. 



In the first chapter of this volume it was men- 

 tioned that there were not three days from May till 

 October in which a good angler should not kill at 

 least twelve pounds weight of trout in any county 

 in the south of Scotland. There are days when he 

 may easily kill twice that quantity, and the angler 

 who, fishing a whole day that is to say, for nine 

 or ten hours cannot capture on an average fifteen 

 pounds a day, has not yet attained to eminence in 

 the art. Most anglers seem to think that the 

 difficulty will be to kill the required quantity when 

 the water is clear, but this is not the case, the diffi- 

 culty is only when the water is flooded. Sport in 

 clear water is certain ; sport in flooded water is un- 

 certain. There are occasions when the water is 

 flooded that trout take very readily, and when large 

 baskets may be got with little trouble by almost 

 any one ; but these occasions are " like angels' 

 visits, short and far "between," and it has not been 

 our lot to fall in with many of them. Indeed, we 

 have frequently, in a dark water, had great diffi- 

 culty in killing twelve pounds weight, when we 

 could with ease have killed twice that quantity had 

 the water been small and clear; and all our best 

 takes have been when the water was in that con- 

 dition. There are some days, however, even in 

 clear water, when the most skilful angler will 



honest anglers will set their faces against such a disgraceful 

 infringement, not only of the law, but of fair fishing, and not 

 bring discredit upon the fair fame of the craft. 



