160 AUTUMNS ON THE SPEY. 



too full to give much hope of success at this spot, 

 I could not resist making the attempt ; so putting 

 a "purple King " of medium size on a fine double 

 gut casting-line, I tried the entire reach, without 

 a rise or a pull ; then changing my fly, but still 

 selecting one of the same size, I repeated the 

 process, wading this time so as to throw into the 

 deepest part of the channel, but was equally un- 

 successful. I now adopted a gaudier lure a 

 " Jock Scott " but of similar dimensions to the 

 former, hesitating to use a smaller fly and lighter 

 tackle in so violent a stream, where, if taken by a 

 large fish, the struggle would probably end in his 

 escape ; but the attractions of " Jock " were un- 

 availing, and even a patient trial of a " silver 

 Doctor " a regular syren in its way, that had 

 beguiled more than one salmon to its doom was 

 equally unsuccessful. Below this was Garbity 

 pool, where, two years before, I had capital sport, 

 but on reaching its banks I was not a little dis- 

 appointed to find its character completely changed. 

 The floods of previous winters had half-filled the 

 bed of the stream with gravel and boulders, and, 

 though of considerable extent, the entire sheet of 

 water was so dull and sluggish that it was im- 

 possible to work a fly well in any part of it. Just 

 at the tail, however, the current seemed to concen- 



