AND HOW I HAVE CAUGHT MY FISH 45 



there are numerous lakes, and, after or before, as 

 the weather may suit, the best possible sea fishing. 

 The host and hostess, Mr. and Mrs. Walker, gave 

 us a kindly welcome and a substantial lunch, which 

 were all the more acceptable as this was to be our 

 home for a week or more. Indeed, I recall with 

 pleasure how glad I felt to find Carrick quite up to 

 the expectations I had formed of it from the reports 

 of friends. 



We found the rivers too low for fishing, but there 

 remained a choice between a number of lakes, over 

 which visitors to the hotel could fish, and the sea. 

 Billy, the man introduced to us by our host as an 

 excellent gillie, advised our trying the latter. 



I have never been able to be stand-offish with 

 gillies, as some are who believe this necessary for 

 the keeping of them in their proper place. This may 

 be partly due to my having been so many weeks 

 together for so many, many years with McLeish, 

 who needed no such treatment. I have nearly 

 always been lucky in my gillies, and I was particu- 

 larly so at Carrick. When I am to be with a man 

 for many days I begin by taking him entirely into 

 my confidence. I tell him what I most wish for and 

 the extent of my knowledge as to the best methods 

 of realising my wish, and I show him my gear and 

 lures. Then I add what I always feel : " Well, 

 Billy, lucky or unlucky, I hope we shall learn some- 

 thing of each other, and be very comfortable 

 together." 



