4 AN ANGLER'S SEASON 



rods of anglers just arrived. Everybody 

 was asking important questions which 

 nobody had time to answer. Only, any 

 one who dared to think of fishing with 

 a trace of gut was unanimously rebuked 

 by the gillies. Gut, they said, might do for 

 ordinary salmon ; but it would not do for 

 the salmon of Loch Tay. You needed a 

 wire trace there. This was horrible news 

 to some anglers ; but they were speedily 

 reassured when the gillies showed samples 

 of the metallic trace. The wire was not 

 nearly so clumsy as had been imagined ; 

 indeed, it was thinner than salmon gut, 

 and almost as pliable. The only objection 

 that could be taken was that each of the 

 traces had a swivel at the end, and that 

 when the phantom minnow was put on 

 the swivel was just above its nose. " It 

 must be a yokel of a fish that would take 

 that," said Master Hubert, doubtfully, 

 and still anxious to be allowed his trace 

 of gut. 



Oddly enough, this doubter was the 

 first to be undeceived. He and his 



