488 THE MOOR AND THE LOCH. 



fish of six or seven pounds, successively emerge from the 

 abyss, and are gaffed by your henchman ; but still the 

 monster to come gives ample proof that these goodly fish 

 are but weaklings when pitted against him. At last, his 

 enormous outline is dimly seen deep, deep down ; and with 

 increasing caution you bring to the surface a thirty -pound 

 cod or ling. A fair show of weighty fish is likely to be secured 

 ere the last hook is raised, when, with quiet satisfaction, you 

 find the coble loaded with some great and many fair-sized 

 denizens of the deep cod, ling, gurnet, skate, plaice, haddock, 

 and mighty conger-eels. 



At low tide these lochs are particularly adapted for the 

 sea-fly, and an invalid sitting snugly in his two -oared boat, 

 refreshed by the summer breeze, may bring in numbers of 

 lythe, the bigger ones affording fine play. The whiting-beds 

 also are pleasing hand -line amusement on a June or July 

 evening. When in good take, whiting seize the bait as soon 

 as the lead touches the ground ; but there is considerable 

 knack in hooking and bringing them into the boat. Unless 

 you strike the instant you feel the quiver of the fish when 

 taking the bait, and pull up steadily without jerking, there 

 is every chance that it may slip off, either when it first seizes 

 the hook or on its passage to the surface. I have always 

 noticed that ladies, from their finer touch, are the greatest 

 adepts at this branch of fishing sport. 



The late Sir William Murray, of Ochtertyre, preferred deep- 

 sea fishing to all other varieties of sport. He had his four 

 trained men, who were allowed the day to themselves, and 

 the best food that could be procured ; but he sternly exacted 

 their services during the long, mid-winter, dreary nights. 



When darkness set in, with lamp in hand he roused his 

 crew, and pulled or sailed for the deep-water fishing-banks, 

 about eight miles distant, where the long lines were " shot." 

 Some skins of the leviathans he landed are still preserved in 



