SPINNING AND BAIT FISHING. 369 



first-named fish, and the tackle &c. used are the same as 

 those applicable to spinning for brown trout, I think probably 

 no further details in regard to that fish would be of any prac- 

 tical use. It may be mentioned, however, that when neither 

 casting with the artificial fly nor spinning, whether trailing or 

 casting, has appeared to be of any use, I have not unfrequently 

 found sea trout inclined to take the artificial fly if trailed forty 

 or fifty yards behind the boat. I have had some very good 

 sport in this way on several Scotch lochs, on Loch Maree, for 

 example, and I have before me now the two flies which I 

 found most successful. One is a grilse fly, dressed on a No. i 

 Limerick hook, orange floss silk body, ribbed with a claret or 

 fiery brown hackle, tag blue silk and silver twist, tail strands of 

 tippet and blue macaw, mixed wing, and jay hackle, head, 

 ostrich herl. The other was a somewhat larger fly with a body 

 of claret-coloured mohair ribbed with silver tinsel, tag orange 

 silk and silver tinsel, tail a topping, brown mallard wings and 

 a whity brown hackle. The prevailing tone of the first fly 

 may be described as orange and blue, and that of the second 

 as claret and whity brown. I have had very good sport with 

 these same flies in other waters. It may be added that the 

 sea trout is more often to be tempted by an artificial bait than 

 either the brown or lake trout. 



The name Loch Maree recalls a disgraceful practical joke 

 whereof I was the principal instigator, and in which, I blush to 

 say, a most charming young lady and a capital ' fisherwoman' 

 too was one of the victims. ... If these lines should by 

 chance ever meet her eye I hope she will not be very im- 

 placable ! Tempus edax reruin. 



The neighbourhood of broken rocky islands, and round and 

 amongst submerged rocks, is generally good holding ground for 

 both sea and brown trout, and such a place, in the absence of 

 local guidance, I should select for my ' trial spin ' over new water. 



It is seldom worth while to attempt lake spinning for brown 

 trout unless they run large, say over a pound at any rate, as 

 otherwise more sport and better will be obtained by fly fishing. 



I. B B 



