238 THE SCIENTIFIC AKGLEB. 



fish that had nevertheless cut his acquaintance very fre- 

 quently according to his account. Though the form and 

 dimensions of the fish greatly interested our worthy host, 

 the fly that had been instrumental in his capture monopo- 

 lized his chief attention. Ever after this event the land- 

 lord played the * ' Spanker " without cessation or intermis- 

 sion. Subsequently, whenever the man was seen with 

 a fish, the query "what fly?' was certain to elicit the 

 reply "Spanker! sir;" indeed, among the visitors, the 

 virtues of the Spanker was so well worn a topic, that the 

 subject was finally suppressed at first scent. 



Spinning and Trolling for sea trout and salmon are 

 common practices in the north, especially upon the lochs, 

 where the bait is spun by a propelled boat at a distance 

 of fifty yards or so in its wake. Whenever the fish refuse 

 to rise, spinning may with advantage be resorted to; 

 indeed, mid-water fishing may, under these circumstances, 

 often be practised with signal success, though as a gen- 

 eral thing, it does not yield the sport of surface fishing. 

 Small fish of almost any description, when from four to 

 six inches in length, may be used. The best artificial 

 baits are the metal ones, the "Universal," "Excelsior," 

 "Devon," and "Spoon." 



The Eed Caterpillar is as killing a lure for salmon and 

 sea trout when they are not rising, as it is for common 

 brown trout, etc. It is used in precisely the same way, 

 but is constructed, as a matter of course, much larger ; 

 the loop too, at the head, should be of double salmon 

 gut. Black palmers with silver twist are also good, but 

 not to be compared with the red, as the habitual users of 

 both can testify. If there is anything objectionable in 

 the use of the Caterpillar for sea trout and salmon, it is 

 the partiality of the smaller fry for them ; they, especially 

 the brown trout, are really boring in their incessant at- 

 tentions. At the end of a day upon the Awe in Argyle- 

 shire, when we had been more than usually pestered in 



