ANGLING REMINISCENCES. 135 



and wild as a north-west swirl. He seems as if one 

 shook nettles at his forehead, flinging and floundering 

 without stay or reason. I have captured many that 

 held their death-strife more deliberately. 'Tis in 

 vain, Sir Silverside, that thou art so frolicksome! I 

 have the lead of thee, friend, so shore-in sideways. 

 Now, Tom, take thy turn o' the pool. 



Otter. Nay, Jack, I will onward or above thee, 

 and may pitch on a stream to my fancy, where the 

 fish are as numerous as they seem hereabouts. 



Leister. I doubt it; there is no part of the whole 

 water so promising, barring the Cruive pool, which 

 has already been dragged by the fishermen, and of 

 course, besides having been thoroughly disturbed, is 

 pretty well emptied of its contents. No doubt, you 

 may meet with abundance of sea-trout near the 

 mouth of the river, but the salmon and larger fish 

 are chiefly lodged within a hundred yards of us. 

 Set to, Tom, and take the noblest of them in tow. 

 Ha ! you raised a huge fellow, but neglected to strike. 

 Change your fly for a smaller one, and cast higher 

 up. 



Otter. I shall bide by my hook, Jack ; 'tis fault- 

 less. There again a different fish 



Leister. And missed him, too ! I would cause my 

 fly to move more rapidly over the surface ; the fel- 

 low rose at it as if suspicious of harm. Send it a 

 sort of galloping pace, and it will smooth down this 

 distrust. Excellent! he springs after it like a tiger. 

 Line, line, line line and your legs a sixteen 



