404 THE MOOR AND THE LOCH. 



swollen, and in this state it is certainly easier for the un- 

 scientific craftsman, who is then much less likely to be ob- 

 served by the trout. But if he took proper care to conceal 

 himself, he would not only find them more greedy when the 

 burn is small, but would be better able to detect their usual 

 haunts, which they are very apt to leave when the water rises. 

 When the linns are black, and whirl round in eddies, let the 

 bait humour the water ; in fact, the only art in fishing them is 

 to make the worm appear naturally to follow the course of the 

 stream. When, again, the burn flows over level ground, lengthen 

 your line, as you have there more difficulty in keeping out of 

 sight. Fish all the streams and deep-looking places ; and, if 

 need be, don't grudge to crawl to them on hand and knee, or 

 you will often be detected by the quick-sighted trout when 

 the water is clear. To fish the moor-burn in this way is 

 capital practice for the novice in angling ; with a little atten- 

 tion, he will seldom return with an empty creel. In the 

 Balnaguard burn, which runs into the Tay near Logierait in 

 Perthshire, I killed nine dozen and two in a few hours. I 

 tried the burn by the advice of an old gardener, who told me 

 he had one day killed nine dozen in it himself. So having 

 equalled him, with two to spare, I washed my hands of bait- 

 fishmg during the rest of my sojourn on the banks of the Tay. 



Of trout so caught, not above one in fifty averages a quarter 

 of a pound. But there is another manner of fishing the deep 

 linns and rocky eddies, which is difficult, and sometimes even 

 dangerous, except for a steady head and practised hand. Yet 

 if love of adventure should entice the angler to try it, he will 

 be rewarded by larger trout, and perhaps a heavier creel. 



In most of the small Highland burns, there is a succession 

 of cataracts and pools, with a parapet of rock rising perpen- 

 dicularly on each side, and often scarcely footing enough for a 

 dog to pass. The greater proportion of picturesque-looking 

 brethren of the angle would almost start at the idea of continu- 

 ing their pastime under such disadvantages. They therefore 



