174 A SCOTTISH FLY-FISHER 



him to a sense of his position, and he awakes with a 

 start, to realize that the sun has left the sky and his 

 hour is come. He springs to his feet, lifts the rod 

 lying at his side, and as he passes his cast, exposed to 

 a prolonged soaking, through his fingers, carefully scans 

 the water near. As he gazes, a large phryganea comes 

 to the surface just beyond the weeds, and, after dis- 

 carding its now useless shuck, makes hurriedly for the 

 bank. The drag it occasions would be the despair of 

 the dry-fly fisher, but excites no apprehension in the 

 fish. While the angler is speculating on the prob- 

 abilities of its gaining a place of safety, there is a swirl 

 in the water and its brief career abruptly terminates. 

 It is speedily avenged. The angler's fly drops lightly 

 into the centre of the disturbance caused by the rising 

 fish and is allowed to sink. There is a moment of ex- 

 pectancy ; the water again breaks, the line tightens 

 with a jerk and runs quickly out, and soon a lovely 

 trout of a pound and a half in weight lies quivering 

 at the angler's feet. Not a second has been lost in 

 playing him, for the fish are now astir and time is of 

 inestimable value. They are rising in the shallows all 

 around the margin of the loch, and if not in great num- 

 bers, for the water is but thinly populated, in numbers 

 sufficient to promise him abundant sport. 



