Introductory. 3 



the same boat. Of all the absurd beliefs as 

 to loch-fishing, this is one of the most absurd. 

 Try it. Give the tyro either end of the boat 

 he likes ; give him a cast of any flies he may 

 fancy, or even a cast similar to those which a 

 " crack " may be using ; and if he catches one 

 for every three the other has, he may consider 

 himself very lucky. Of course there are lochs 

 where the fish are not abundant, and a beginner 

 may come across as many as an older fisher ; 

 but we speak of lochs where there are fish to 

 be caught, and where each has a fair chance. 



Again, it is said that the boatman has as 

 much to do with catching trout in a loch as 

 the angler. Well, we don't deny that. In an 

 untried loch it is necessary to have the guid- 

 ance of a good boatman; but the same argu- 

 ment holds good as to stream-fishing. There 

 are "pools and pools," and the experienced 

 loch-fisher can "spot" a bay or promontory, 

 where trout are likely to be lying, with as 

 much certainty as his brother angler can cal- 

 culate on the lie of fish in a stream. Then 

 there are objections to loch-fishing on the score 

 of expense. These we are not prepared to re- 

 fute ; for there is no doubt whatever that loch- 



