OLD AND NEW POOLS. 17 



been indebted for the successful capture of many 

 a heavy fish. 



This was the beginning of Simon's second 

 season as my attendant, and as he had been down 

 this part of the river before, during the net-fishing 

 in the summer, I questioned him as to my pros- 

 pects of sport. 



" Deed, sir, I canna say : I'm thinkin' there's 

 a wee bit too much sun the day." 



" But how about the new pools ? I see that the 

 river has not only struck out fresh channels for 

 herself since last year, but that, if I am not much 

 mistaken, the valley of boulders, that we are now 

 actually trudging over, must be the dry bed of 

 what used to be one of the best casts in the river, 

 where I killed the thirty-two pounder." 



" Aye, is it, sir, the varra spot." 



" But how many pools are there ? " 



"Well, I canua say not many, that will hold 

 a muckle fish, until we get a good bit lower 

 down." 



We had now walked over a considerable extent 

 of boulders and shingle, and reached the nearest 

 arm of the river, which appeared too shallow even 

 for a grilse, so wading though it, and again 

 traversing another peninsula like the last, and 

 crossing a second branch, which looked encourag- 



c 



