THE "BUTCHER FLY." 83 



and speedily laid the fish gasping on the shingle. 

 Alister now cast his fly at the head of a runnel just as 

 it left the pool, bidding me watch the event, as he had 

 marked a good fish rise a moment before in that spot. 

 The third cast proved successful ; and in ten minutes 

 there were a couple of fine fish lying on the shingle, 

 and a third, hooked in the same spot, fighting despe- 

 rately for his life. Alister offered his rod to me, which 

 of course I took with pleasure, and after a careful and 

 patient struggle I landed my fish. I then took a cast 

 with Alister's rod, a few yards into the pool, and the 

 " butcher fly," which had already proved itself worthy 

 of its name, still maintained its character, by quickly 

 hooking a fourth fish, which succumbed after a ten 

 minutes' struggle. 



We had now taken our full complement from the 

 Poul Glas four salmon landed on the same spot 

 and it was scarcely likely that any more would be 

 taken, after the disturbance we had already made. I 

 therefore now returned Alister his rod, and, leaving him 

 to whip the pool a little longer, I took my way down 

 the stream towards the inn, casting my fly occasionally 

 as I passed a promising runnel. Twice or thrice a 

 salmon rose, but only timidly in the shallow water, and 

 I did not succeed in hooking any. Before leaving the 

 stream, however, I had secured three sea-trout, one of 

 which afforded excellent sport, fighting most valiantly, 

 and defying my utmost efforts for full ten minutes. 



Arrived at the inn, I was presently joined by Alister, 

 with five fish, another having been caught after my 

 departure, making in all five salmon; which, with the 

 addition of my three sea-trout, formed a goodly com- 

 pany, at least as the production of one pool. The 

 salmon weighed between seven and nine pounds each, 



