162 AUTUMNS ON THE SPEY. 



ing, I was preparing to land, but yielded to the 

 temptation of taking one more cast before doing 

 so. Throwing again therefore across stream, I 

 anxiously watched the fly as it swept round for 

 the last time, but just as I was on the point of 

 drawing it out, a sudden plunge a few inches 

 below it, followed by the apparition of a huge 

 dorsal fin above the surface, told that I had roused 

 the attention of a monster, although he had not 

 yet " tasted steel." To stimulate his appetite 

 therefore by delay I pitched my fly several times 

 higher up, preserving carefully the same length of 

 line, and at last brought it again over him. Every 

 salmon-fisher has experienced the excitement of 

 such a moment, and can sympathize with my feel- 

 ings after thrice repeating the process in vain. 

 Even a change of fly proved ineffectual, until at 

 last, vexed, shivering, and disappointed, I waded 

 to the shore and sat down sulkily on the bank. 

 Just at that moment the clouds, which had hither- 

 to floated in succession across the sky, disappeared 

 one by one, and for half an hour I basked luxu- 

 riously in the warm sunshine, smoked the calumet 

 of peace, and under its soothing influence ad- 

 mired the scenery in the neighbourhood of this 

 beautiful pool. 



To the south, about a couple of miles off, roso 



