LOCH-NA-LARICH 179 



that there is a second one attached to the tail 

 fly, and that I have caught two with my first 

 cast. They are not so long as my hand, but I 

 do not put them back again, for there are really 

 too many fish in the loch, and it would be a 

 good thing to reduce the stock. Besides, they 

 are excellent for breakfast, and, if I am too par- 

 ticular about size, it is quite probable that there 

 may not be enough for a fry. The ordinary run 

 of fish in this loch is about three to the pound, 

 and one is lucky if one gets one of over a pound 

 in a good day's fishing. 



And now commences the familiar but unsatis- 

 factory process of hunting the breeze. We gaze 

 round the loch, and make up our minds that the 

 best chance will be in the little bay under the 

 birches, where there appears to be a tiny ripple. 

 As soon as we arrive there, it has entirely dis- 

 appeared, and seems to have turned its attention 

 to the very spot we have just left. It is not 

 hard work either for rower or fisherman, and 

 the former just holds the boat within reach of 

 shore, while I keep dropping my three flies as 

 lightly as possible a few yards from the rocks, 

 and am occasionally rewarded with a shy rise, and 

 get a few fish, some of them of quite a decent 

 size. What determined fighters they are ! They 

 bend my light rod, and even run out a little 

 line. If the lazy South-Country giants of the Test 

 or Mimram had half their energy and strength, 



