TROLLING FOR THE SALMO-FEROX. 389 



easterly breeze, pay most attention to those parts where hills 

 and gullies make the wind strike as if from south or west. 

 For years I imagined this could make no difference. Practice 

 at length convinced me to the contrary ; for when the wind 

 was in such unpropitious quarters, if I hooked a fine fish, it 

 was almost always by the help of those fictitious gales. I am 

 well aware many will doubt and laugh. I don't pretend to 

 account for it, but have often found my account in attending 

 to it. When the wind scours the loch in frequent gusts, and 

 as suddenly dies away into a calm, the troller has a great 

 advantage who knows all the straths and hollows where it 

 comes down and first strikes any good water. 



In the early part of the season the points keep most fish. 

 As the year advances, the bays are the surest find. In autumn 

 a heavy fish is often hooked about the mouths or estuaries of 

 rivers and burns, which, earlier in the season, would have been 

 trolled in vain. Of course, the fish is making for the running 

 water to spawn. The Brander, at the head of the river Awe, 

 seldom harbours a good salmo-ferox except at such times. 

 When one of these fish strikes, hooks, and drops off, instantly 

 let out some line with your hand from the reel, and he will 

 sometimes follow and fasten firmly. This I have frequently 

 proved. 



In the smaller lochs the country people will often warn you 

 tli at " the big fish don't begin to take " till a certain hour, and 

 leave off at another. Pay attention to the stated times, but 

 never grudge to begin your trolling earlier in the morning 

 than they advise, and prolong it as late in the evening as you 

 please. We were assured that there was little chance of a 

 salmo-ferox in Loch Layghal after three o'clock. Most of 

 those we hooked took greedily at least two hours later. 



In fine calm summer nights, fish feed so well as to be 

 rather lazy next day. This applies to fly-trout in particular. 

 A rough night, succeeded by a calmer day, has of course the 

 contrary effect, so the trouter should take advantage of it. 



