THE MOOR -BURN. 197 



follow. At last the poor minnows, from several dozen, 

 decreased in number to three or four, who only escaped 

 the fate of their companions by discovering a small crack 

 between two stones ; and I noticed that the trout soon 

 ceased to molest them, having discovered that the attempt 

 would be vain, as they always kept close to their refuge. 

 This trout, I believe, is still alive, but the other, I have 

 heard, is dead, after a solitary existence in the spring of 

 nine years' duration ! 



But to return to the burn. Although when small or in 

 ordinary trim the angler must be content with its common 

 inmates, yet the time to fish it in perfection is during the 

 floods at the end of summer and beginning of autumn. 

 The sea-trout, salmon, and grilse then come up in great 

 numbers. To select the proper moment for commencing 

 operations is the great point. Many of the smaller burns 

 remain in proper trim for so short a time that the angler 

 ought to be waiting at the side, ready to begin fishing as 

 soon as the white muddy water has run out, and the burn 

 assumes the deep red tinge. After it decreases to a 

 certain point, he will hardly rise a single fish. Nay, he 

 would even stand a better chance before the water is 

 sufficiently clear, with an enormous gaudy fly, with which, 

 should he come half-an-hour too soon, he may amuse him- 

 self until it is time to put on the proper ones. 



As I have already said, every experienced angler is 

 well aware how capricious are the salmon, sea-trout, and 

 grilse of different streams as to their flies. I was in 

 the habit of fishing sea-trout in three burns in the same 



