THE MOOR- BURN. 193 



since the last flood. The great point at such a time is to 

 keep out of sight, by dropping the bait over a rock, or 

 from behind a bush or tuft of heather. There is generally 

 sufficient motion in these rocky streams to prevent your 

 line from being seen by the trout, and they will seize the 

 bait with such avidity that I have sometimes, when a boy, 

 taken a dozen out of one pool or lyn, as they are called. 

 Many prefer the burn a little swollen, and in this state it is 

 certainly easier for the unscientific craftsman, who is then 

 much less likely to be observed by the trout. But would 

 he take proper care to conceal himself, he would not only 

 find them more greedy when the burn is small, but would 

 be better able to detect their usual haunts, which they are 

 very apt to leave when the water rises. When the lyns 

 are black, and whirl round in eddies, let the bait humour 

 the water ; in fact, the only art in fishing them is to make 

 the worm appear naturally to follow the course of the 

 stream. When again the burn flows over level ground, 

 lengthen your line, as you have there more difficulty in 

 keeping out of sight. Fish all the streams and deep-looking 

 places, and, if need be, don't grudge to crawl to them on 

 hand and knee, or you will often be detected by the 

 quick-sighted trout when the water is clear. To fish the 

 moor-burn in this way is capital practice for the novice 

 in angling ; with a little attention, he will seldom return 

 with an empty creel. In the Balnaguard burn, which 

 runs into the Tay near Logierait in Perthshire, I killed 

 nine dozen and two in a few hours. I tried the burn by 

 the advice of an old gardener, who told me he had one day 



N 



