JULY 169 



she would run into trim before night, which in this 

 latitude does not fall till near ten o'clock about mid- 

 summer. On arriving at the waterside, she was still 

 too big, but of a fine, clear, porter colour, and falling. 

 In every river, no matter how big, there are certain places 

 that will fish so long as the water runs clear ; and the 

 Luce, with most of its course laid in moorland, seldom 

 turns ' drumlie.' The tail of the Craig Stream seemed 

 as likely as any place to give a fish, so we drove on 

 four miles to try it. The river here passes under a 

 high wood on the right bank. Not a breath of air 

 was stirring, and it was very sultry. The stream was 

 too heavy at the top, but half-way down it subsides 

 into a broad, even flow, and near the tail some great 

 boulders cause a swirl in the current. Here, if any- 

 where, there ought to be a fish, and sure enough, as I 

 passed up the bank a salmon rose head and tail just 

 above the swirl. 



Beginning about forty yards higher up with a 

 smallish double-hooked Black Doctor, I was instantly 

 assailed by clouds of midges. Never do I remember 

 to have been so heavily plastered with them. The 

 atmosphere seemed to be composed half of motionless 

 air and half of midges. It was maddening. Nothing 

 happened till the Black Doctor swam in a nice sweep 

 just above the boulders, when twang ! the line 

 tightened, and for the next five minutes I forgot my 

 tormentors. Remembered them again, though, so soon 

 as a clean-run nine-pounder had received the coup de 

 grdce. Howbeit, half-a-dozen casts and I was into 

 another fish ; but this fellow got free after running 



