A DAY AT LOUGH MELVIN. 6l 



now by the Scholar. Now and then there 

 was a tangle among the flies ; occasionally a 

 lively fish twitched one of the unoccupied 

 hooks into the Squire's fingers, as he was 

 hand-playing him ; once or twice a monster 

 shook himself off before any one could get 

 near him — (the largest fish always do get 

 off) ; but, upon the whole, it was a successful 

 cruise ; and though no fish of any size had 

 been taken, for the Scholar's three-pounder 

 did not weigh quite a real pound, yet the 

 baskets were nearly full by the time the 

 boats had arrived at the Bridge. 



The best catch had been made on the 

 shoals, or, as they are called, the sunken 

 islands. These places, which are numerous 

 enough in Lough Melvin, are marked by 

 piles of stones, as ^beacons, to prevent the 

 market-boats from running on them. When- 

 ever they arrived at one of these places, one 

 of the party would take his stand on the 

 heap, with a cross-line rod in his hand, as a 

 pivot, while the boat circled round him. 



But by far the surest ground was the 

 Drehagh nan Shian, or Fairies' Bridge. 

 This is an extensive reef of detached rocks, 

 with large patches of sand and gravel, and 



