74 FISHING ON THE 



I had every opportunity (which I did not neglect) of 

 practising the different kinds of fishing, and making 

 myself master of the most propitious times of the tide 

 for doing so with success. 



TROLLING FOR SEA-TROUT 



may be ranked at the head of this fishing ; but, before 

 attempting to describe it, I shall mention two curious 

 facts, relative to the sea-trout and salmon, which it is 

 difficult to account for. One is, that the former will 

 take greedily in one loch, while you may troll a whole day 

 in its next neighbour, though full of them, without getting 

 a single bite. This was precisely the case in the two 

 lochs alluded to. The other, that, although you may 

 see the huge tails and back-fins of salmon rising all 

 round, I never heard of one taking the bait ; and during 

 the whole of my trolling in the salt water, I have only 

 killed one grilse. This is the more strange, as the sal- 

 mon is not at all shy of the spinning-bait in the fresh 

 water loch. 



The best time to begin fishing for sea-trout is at the 

 turn of the tide, when it begins to ebb : the same rod 

 and tackle as when trolling from a boat in fresh 

 water. The herring-fry, salted, are the most killing 

 bait, (also excellent for large fish in fresh-water lochs,) 

 although minnows are very good : a sand-eel may also 

 do, the black skin pulled over the head, so as to show 

 nothing but the white body ; this shines very bright, but 



