FISHING WITH MINNOW 169 



hostes piscarice gentis approach must be had in the 

 only way suited to their gross palates, and Acheron 

 must be moved to avert a blank day. 



Let no one who has control over a sheet of water 

 where trout behave like creatures of gentle breed- 

 ing permit the use of the minnow under any pretext 

 whatever. Loch Leven is such a sheet of water, its 

 trout being models of behaviour as well as symmetry. 

 Few other waters contain fish of such free rising 

 propensity, combined with goodly size, and none are 

 more perpetually flogged. Yet there are 'dour' 

 days on Loch Leven as well as on lochs of less 

 repute ; days on which, in the language of the Stock 

 Exchange, it might be reported that ' a general dull 

 tone, difficult to account for, prevailed in all depart- 

 ments. Small lots of Duns and cinnamon reds freely 

 on offer met with a total absence of demand. All 

 stocks, however, firmly held in expectation of a rise.' 

 Now, inasmuch as the public are invited to angle 

 in Loch Leven on payment of a substantial, though 

 by no means exorbitant sum, they are not fond of 

 planking down their dollars (payment, by the by, at 

 Loch Leven is expected in the national coinage 

 of bawbees, though southern money will not be 

 refused) and going home with empty creels. So 



