LOCH-FISHING. 147 



then packing up my sketching materials, proceeded to 

 join my companions, who were now making for the 

 shore, bent on discussing the viands which Donald had 

 brought for our consumption. 



Though the season was far advanced, the air was 

 still mild ; and indeed in the sheltered spot which we 

 selected, a bosky " neuk," at the head of a tiny inlet, 

 lying on my back, beneath a sun pouring down his rays 

 through a cloudless sky, I could have fancied it still 

 the height of summer. 



In this manner a pleasant hour or more was passed ; 

 and then as the sun began to decline in the west 

 observing that the fish were dimpling the surface of the 

 loch, apparently in considerable numbers, I once more 

 resumed my rod, and this time with more success. 

 Taking my stand on the extreme point of a little rocky 

 promontory, jutting out into the deeper water, I cast 

 my flies out as far as possible; and now the chief 

 difficulty arose, not from the scarcity of the fish but 

 from their numbers, as they quite jostled each other 

 about the hook in jealous rivalry. In this way several 

 were pricked, or being imperfectly hooked made their 

 escape ; not a few of them, however, were secured. I 

 seemed indeed, from the number of rises, to have fallen 

 in with a large shoal, and for upwards of a hour the 

 sport was excellent. At the expiration of that time, as 

 the sun was now set, and we had some distance to 

 journey, and moreover the fish were becoming wary 

 and difficult to catch, I put up my tackle, and pouring 

 the contents of my creel on the ground, counted thirty- 

 two fish, most of them, as I conjectured, above half a 

 pound, three between two and three pounds, and one, 

 a fine fellow, who could not weigh much under four 

 pounds. 



L2 



