Fly Fishing for Sea Trout. 89 



at my prey, and with both hands cast him far away 

 from the water. This gave me courage. With a 

 short line I found I could get the fly on the water, 

 and in about an hour or so had managed to land 

 three fish without losing another fly. I came 

 home in triumph, and prided myself on knowing 

 how to throw a fly, but was soon disabused of this 

 bit of conceit. The next day dire misfortune 

 awaited me : flies were whipped off, the line got 

 twisted, a large fish broke me in the first rush. I 

 was in despair, when, as fortune would have it, I 

 met the fisherman I had seen the first day, entered 

 into conversation with him, and related my mishaps. 

 At once he gave me every encouragement, pointed 

 out faults, made me fish and throw the fly whilst 

 he gave directions, and with the utmost patience 

 gave me some most valuable hints, and from 

 that time I looked upon fly-fishing as a sport not 

 to be despised, and no one could become a more 

 enthusiastic lover of the Rod and Line. 



On the west coast of Scotland every river, great 

 and small, which has communication with a fresh- 

 water loch at one end, and the sea at the other, 

 abounds with sea trout, and when in ply and the 

 fish are running up, splendid sport is the rule. 



In the small rivers very much will depend on the 

 state of the water : if there is sufficient fresh water 

 coming down to make the fish run from the sea, 



