122 THE SCOTTISH ANGLER. 



size, and holding a steady flight, as if at a considerable 

 distance from its nest. 



While on birds, we may remark, what is well known 

 to anglers, that the more familiar sorts are frequently 

 captured with the fly. We once took a snipe by this 

 means at Meggat Foot, while in the act of throwing 

 our line over a trout which we had just raised. Also, 

 on the Tyne, in East Lothian, we landed a bat, of 

 which, at the moment, there were five or six playing 

 about our tackle. At another time, we got hold of a 

 wild duck, which sprang up at our feet when lashing 

 the Machony, a small stream near Muthill, in Perth- 

 shire. The bird somehow proved too strong for us, 

 and carried away our cast of flies in a twinkling. We 

 luckily, however, found left behind it a full-grown flap- 

 per whereon to revenge ourselves. * 



A friend of ours also brought in, near the Water of 

 Leith, several swallows in succession, one windy after- 

 noon, on small midge flies, which, on passing, they 

 darted at eagerly. On Lochnanean, Spittal of Glen- 

 shee, Colonel Macdonald of Powderhall happened, 

 while fishing from a boat, to run in among a flock of 

 sea-gulls, and actually captured a score of them with 

 his tackle, notwithstanding a most vigorous resistance. 



Besides birds, the angler sometimes chances to hook 

 other creatures of various sorts for instance, water- 

 rats and frogs : and we know of one brother of the 

 rod, residing in Edinburgh, who happened to strike his 

 huge salmon fly into the flank of an ox grazing behind 

 him. The animal, of course, took to its heels, dragging 

 after it the astonished fisher, who, in order to save 

 his pirn-line, which was soon run out, ' forthwith ex- 

 erted himself to keep pace with the rapid brute, al- 

 though compelled at last to submit to the necessity of 

 losing his tackle. 



