156 FORAYS AMONG SALMON AND DEER. 



carefully concealed beneath the heather, a well-known 

 contrivance for fishing, belonging no doubt, to some of 

 the shepherds, and yclept, from its deadly effects, the 

 otter." 



As my reader is doubtless unacquainted with this, 

 one of the most effective weapons of the Highlander for 

 securing his daily meal, I will devote a few lines to a 

 description of it. It consists of a small board, fastened 

 to a string, in the same manner and on the same 

 principle as that of the common kite, with which we 

 entertained our boyhood, so that when the string is 

 pulled by a person walking along the shore, the board, 

 being previously thrown into the water, darts out to the 

 furthest distance allowed by the string ; and as the 

 walker advances along the shore, the " otter " traces out 

 a parallel path through the water. To this board we 

 attached a number of hooks, baited with fly or worm, 

 according to the day, the fish, or the locality ; and to 

 this simple contrivance, there being no fisherman 

 visible to create alarm, the best and most wary fish 

 frequently become victims. 



The otter then, thus opportunely discovered, was 

 soon armed with its full complement of hooks, and 

 a place being selected where the weeds least obstructed 

 the passage, it was thrown out, and once beyond the 

 range of the weeds, started steadily on its experimental 

 voyage. 



We had not watched its progress long, when a 

 sudden dash, followed by no slight commotion in the 

 water, told that a fair-sized fish had been hooked. 

 Nothing deterred however by the warning thus afforded 

 them, others speedily followed the example, and ere 

 long almost every hook carried its fish. When, taking 

 advantage of the first opening in the weeds, we drew the 

 otter ashore, and along with it ten fish of various sizes 



