316 THE MOOR AND THE LOCH. 



all the unprotected water, from the opening to the close of the 

 season, are the pests of the districts they haunt. Of course 

 they know every mood of their own streams, and all the best 

 flies and baits ; but take one of these notables to a river he 

 knows nothing of, and pit him against a few good average 

 fishers, also ignorant of the water, and it will generally be 

 found that there are many equal, some perhaps superior, to 

 this " best fisher in the kingdom." 



After having been thoroughly shown the casts of the river 

 when swollen, it may be as well to have recourse to the guide 

 again, when it becomes small and clear ; as some pools that 

 are excellent in flood, are not worth a throw when the water 

 has fallen in and others that were too foaming and boiling 

 when the river was large, then come into prime order. The 

 resorts of salmon, however, are much more easily detected 

 when the river is low. This state of the water also requires 

 considerable difference in the fly, chiefly in size. In my 

 opinion, most salmon-fishers use too large hooks. 



A stranger will often find his guide's knowledge superior to 

 his practice ; and that is the reason why the lower orders fre- 

 quently excel those who might appear to a spectator to throw 

 a better and finer line. Some anglers have an additional 

 piece to screw on to their rods for long casts ; a very thin 

 butt is required when this piece is not added, and it is more 

 apt to twist the rod. If equal in other respects, a man who 

 has the power of throwing a very long line has the same 

 advantage over a less gifted friend, in this particular, that a 

 far-killing gun has over an inferior one, both in the same skil- 

 ful hands. I should therefore advise every aspirant to excel- 

 lence in salmon-fishing to attain this knack in the greatest 

 possible perfection. 



Large rivers require a large rather than a gaudy fly, which 

 must decrease in size as the river narrows. Eapid brawling 

 streams, on the contrary, take a gaudy fly rather than a large 

 one. There are many Highland burns where salmon and sea- 



