74 IN LOWER STRATHSPEY 



melancholy, quoting Plutarch (I have not verified the 

 reference) as denouncing ' all fishing as a filthy, base, 

 illiberal employment, having neither wit nor perspi- 

 cacity in it, nor worth the labour.' However, a long 

 and fairly intimate acquaintance with the caprice of 

 spring salmon teaches one to deal with them on the 

 principle ' One never can tell.' So I stepped down the 

 brae from my hill-crest lodging with the comforting 

 thought that my beat for the day included the famous 

 cast called the Hollen Bush. 



The river sweeps out of the great loop of Aikenway 

 with a tumultuous rush, as if it felt sure at last of a 

 straight race for the sea; but the steep flank of Ben 

 Aigan blocks the way, and once more the angry 

 current is forced at a sharp tangent to the left. It is 

 this sudden check that creates as near an approach to 

 a pool that can be found in a stream which has to 

 descend three hundred feet in ten miles, without a 

 waterfall to ease the current. For 150 yards or so the 

 river chafes along the foot of the cliff, and every yard 

 of it is worth careful fishing. The sun never strikes the 

 river here in early spring. One must wade deep to 

 reach the lie of the fish, and under the dark surface is 

 about as treacherous a bit of footing as may be found 

 anywhere, for the channel is floored with junks of 

 rock discharged from the mountain above. Not in- 

 frequently Ben Aigan fires a sniping shot at the angler 

 at his foot. 



Where the cliff is steepest sheer into the river a 

 fine t holly tree has found foothold near the top and 

 gives the name to the cast. At the foot of the crag 



