SPRING FISHING IN LOCH ARD. 233 



SPRING FISHING IN LOCH AED. 



WHEN a man makes inquiry what sort of angling is 

 to be had at this or that place, or this or that time, he 

 is apt or almost certain to be misled. He will be 

 told of " good fishing " or of " poor fishing ;" but these 

 phrases have no fixed meaning, and express the most 

 different state of things in the mouths of different 

 people. What would be reckoned wretched as a day's 

 " take " in one district, is regarded as a magnificent 

 spoil in another. For instance, " a good day's fishing " 

 means quite a different thing in the south-eastern 

 from what it means in the south-western counties of 

 Scotland the former districts being the best, and 

 the latter pretty nearly the worst in the kingdom for 

 river-fishing for yellow trout. Never shall we for- 

 get being induced to perform a day's severe bogtrot- 

 ting and hill-climbing in Galloway, on the assurance 

 of " splendid fishing" in a certain elevated region, and 

 finding, after careful and laborious experiment, that 

 nothing was to be had but abortions blacker than 

 your hat, and smaller than your little finger. Not 

 certain as no angler in strange waters ever ought to 

 be certain but that the fault might be in the fisher, 



