EVENINGS ON THE EARN. 159 



but the reward is often well worth the trouble. 

 One afternoon I got a three-and-a-half pounds 

 trout here, hooked by the tongue, and as I 

 had to bring him up the water on fine tackle, 

 it looked as if the fish would be the victor, as 

 I had no landing net ; but I eventually suc- 

 ceeded in safely landing him a deep, well-made 

 fish, with large spots. He cut up red and tasted 

 delicious. The early spring fishing March, 

 April is the best ; after that the fish do not 

 rise freely, and in the summer months the Par 

 are very troublesome. 



My favourite fly for this part of the Earn is 

 a claret body with a blae wing, but any of the 

 common river flies, such as red or black hackle 

 and hare's lug, if not dressed on too large a hook, 

 do well, as does the cinnamon fly. The yellow 

 drake, although the natural fly on the water, 

 does not take well. The March brown in spring 

 is the favourite. 



In the lower parts of the Earn the angler 

 need not be afraid of being surfeited with an 



