266 WHAT I HAVE SEEN WHILE FISHING 



it was a fellow-townsman of mine, Mr. Campbell, 

 of Richmond, who made the successful effort. 



I cannot refrain from saying that he took his 

 fresh-run spring fish with an undressed silk line, so 

 fine as to be only equal to those generally used for 

 roach and dace fishing in the Thames. 



That the landing of this fish with such tackle 

 was no fluke was proved over and over again when 

 we met soon after at Pitlochry and fished the same 

 beat on the Tay, there being no other vacant, he 

 wading and I from the boat. 



When necessary he would wade almost to his 

 arm-pits, and then make such a cast with his fine 

 line from a Malloch winch as to quite astonish me ; 

 his playing of a fish was a combination of skill and 

 gentleness not easily to be equalled, and impossible 

 to surpass. Mr. Campbell almost loves his winch, as 

 may be inferred from the following : " I like your 

 method, Geen, which does not call for any tiresome 

 bending of the back with its attendant strain on 

 the hips, and am almost persuaded. But I don't 

 think that I could give up my Malloch." 



AUKMOKE POOL 



is some quarter of a mile farther, and is well worth 

 a visit now that you are so near, for after the 

 middle of March you may be sure of there being 

 fish in it. Remembering how few times I have 

 fished it, and that, none the less, I have had more 



