LOCH-FISHING. 57 



accompaniment. At first, he makes some determined 

 attacks upon the finny tribe ; but, being generally 

 unsuccessful, his rod is laid aside, and, after having 

 been delighted with the sublimities and beauties of half 

 the Highlands, he returns home with but an indifferent 

 account of his piscatorial achievements. To such an 

 one I particularly address the few simple directions in 

 loch-fishing, which time and patience have enabled me 

 to collect. 



There are particular times in every season when trout 

 more readily take in many of the Highland lochs, and these 

 it should be the angler's first study to discover. For 

 instance, the best time for trolling with the minnow, in 

 Loch Vennachar, is from the end of February to the 

 middle of May, when large fish may be taken. They 

 never rise well at the fly in this loch. In Loch Lomond, 

 the trolling does not begin till May, and only lasts till 

 the middle of June, when the fly-fishing commences. 

 More may then be caught, but, with the exception of 

 sea-trout, seldom nearly so large as with the minnow. 

 In Loch Katrine, you may troll with success all the 

 season. The fishing in Lochs Earn, Lubnaig, and Yoil, 

 is not good till May : the trout in those lochs being small, 

 they are never trolled except for the gillaroo, which 

 inhabits them all, and sometimes grows to a great size. 

 The trouting in Loch Ard is best at an early part of the 

 year, falling off very much as the season advances ; while 

 Lochs Chon and Dhu, not so good as Loch Ard at the 



