AND HOW I HAVE CAUGHT MY FISH 205 



past midnight, at a Burns dinner, and, as his 

 pipers played, he forgot his eighty-five years and 

 was as young as when he rowed in the Oxford 

 eight. 



I shall always think kindly of Sir Robert for 

 his courtesy to me when we met at the " Boat- 

 Pool," one side of which is his and the other 

 Lord Breadalbane's. I wished him to fish first, 

 but he insisted on my doing so, and the care 

 with which his men went down over the shallow 

 side of the pool, under his direction, so as not to 

 disturb it impressed me as being most sports- 

 manlike. 



It may be best, before proceeding to tell you 

 what I know of the fourteen miles of fishing which 

 may be enjoyed by staying at the Fortingall 

 Hotel and the payment of ten shillings per day, 

 that I should redeem my promise and describe 

 to you my tackle and the method of using it. 



The cramped position from which many spots 

 have to be fished has necessitated the practising 

 of numerous ways of casting. Winches, no matter 

 how free, are sometimes useless, and the coil in 

 the hand seldom enables you to reach the lie of 

 the fish. The Thames coil is equally out of the 

 question as, unless you can carry with you some- 

 thing to coil it on, the line will be constantly 

 catching in twigs, thorns, or rubbish left by receding 

 waters, and tangles will be inevitable. 



What is really needed is a method that can, 



