342 THE MOOR AND THE LOCH. 



The following make-shift is inserted for the benefit of the 

 luckless wight who may have the misfortune to break the 

 top of his rod at the water-side, and neglected to bring a spare 

 one. On the morning of my last day's fishing of the Echaig, 

 I hooked a four-pound sea-trout on my bob, and when the 

 fish was quite spent, the trail-fly fastened on a rotten stump. 

 I waded in to try to disengage it, and in so doing, carelessly 

 strained back my rod over my right shoulder. The fish gave 

 a languid plunge, and of course broke the top. Although I 

 had only some thread and a pair of scissors, I cut a couple of 

 twigs and spliced my rod, as clumsily as ever a country sur- 

 geon bungled a poor man's leg. With my maimed instrument 

 I killed two fine salmon and several sea-trout. I had fished 

 since July, and bagged two hundred and fifty-seven sea-trout, 

 many very large, and twelve salmon and grilse, with the same 

 top, and little expected to break it the last day, when I was 

 particularly anxious to do great things. A few years ago, the 

 same mishap befell me when fishing in Loch Drunkie. At 

 the beginning of the day, a large yellow trout rose, and was 

 fixed, just under a perpendicular bank. Not being able to 

 land the fish without throwing back my rod too far, I snapped 

 the top, though I secured my prey. Nothing daunted, I 

 mended my rod with a bit of twine, and killed five more 

 fine trout. I question if, either day, I should have had better 

 sport had no accident occurred. 



