16 AN ANGLER'S SEASON 



to infer, particularly, that the fish take 

 the phantom to be a char, and, generally, 

 that the lure which most closely re- 

 sembles some choice creature indigenous 

 to a water is the lure most likely to 

 succeed. 



The angler on Loch Tay who was 

 struggling with a salmon as we passed 

 had something to say about the com- 

 ments of my companion. In a letter, 

 signed "Struan," to the Editor of The 

 Scotsman, he explained that "several 

 times, when within 10 feet of the boat, 

 the fish made a straight dive 20 or 30 

 feet towards the bottom." "At such a 

 moment," he added, "what folly to hold 

 the rod in the air ! The proof that the 

 fish was properly handled is the fact that 

 a lively sixteen-pounder was gaffed in 

 less than fifteen minutes." Then, on the 

 morning of the first day of this year I 

 received a letter as follows ; 



