TROLLING FOR THE SALMO-FEROX. 95 



drop a pebble into it, the sound is so vivid and hollow, 

 you shudder at the distance it must sink before finding 

 its bed. I rather think the sudden and great depth of 

 the water is one reason why so few fish frequent this 

 creek. We now emerged from the bay, and coasted the 

 stony cheerful shore of New Inverawe. When skirting 

 this shallow, and gliding slowly past the little isles which 

 lie beyond, Sandy is always in expectation " o' a rug. " 

 He was not gratified by one to-day. 



May 4, Up at four o'clock, intending to troll down 

 to the Ford at the foot of the Loch, a distance of nineteen 

 miles. It was a dead calm when we rowed off, but, from 

 certain appearances in the sky the evening before, we 

 were pretty sure of at least as much wind as we wanted 

 before breakfast-time. So it proved. By ten o'clock we 

 had a south-wester which effectually barred our progress 

 farther down than Castle Connal. Put about, and drifted 

 back with the wind, trolling the best bays and shores on 

 each side of the loch. Hooked a very fine trout off a 

 rocky point five miles below Port Sonachan. It was 

 tenderly hooked, and slipped off, to our chagrin. Crossed 

 to the Sonachan side, and hooked another with a salmon- 

 smelt. Landed him, after a tough struggle of three 

 quarters of an hour, on Bala-Menach shore ; ten pounds, 

 and in the finest condition. No more runs till we passed 

 Cladich burn, and began to pull along the inhabited island. 

 I then hooked a fish which soon came to the top of the 

 water, and I saw he was a pike. Sandy assured me it was 

 " ane o' thae new beasts that cam' doon the Urchay frae 



