284 WHA T 1 HAVE SEEN WHILE FISHING 



Skill on the part of your gillies can add much 

 to your comfort as well. You must remember that 

 the loch is nearly twenty-four miles in length, and 

 that waves soon gather force in such long water. 

 There is no actual danger from them, as a rule, but 

 they demand respect, as may be seen from a line or 

 two that I have taken from a letter from a friend 

 who has tasted the loch's waters : " While I con- 

 sider it the grandest loch in Scotland for fishing, 

 I know how quickly a sea gets up on it, and how 

 suddenly my upset took place." On the occasion 

 of which he writes our two boats had drifted to 

 nearly the end of the loch, and, when quite at the 

 end, should have crossed to the pier .to take the 

 steamer home. It was darkening fast, too fast ; 

 and Gaelic was passing between Donald and 

 Malcolm, with looks to the weather quarter, which 

 ended in their advising an immediate crossing. I 

 beckoned to my friend to wind up at once and 

 follow as closely as possible. He understood, and 

 we were crossing together for some time, after 

 which their boat started on a different course. 

 This, had all gone well, would have brought them 

 first to the pier. My men plied their oars with an 

 evident determination to get well across with as 

 little drift as possible towards the shallow jutting 

 out centre of the end round which we must get 

 before the shelter of the pier could be reached. 

 Waves came down that needed the prompt turning 

 of the stern of the boat to meet, and which, had 



