MAY 109 



that is an assumption which in another 

 book has been seriously called in question ; 

 but, after all, there may be something to 

 be said for it. It fits into the facts of 

 the entertaining case. Also, it bridges 

 the years between this time and the days 

 of our grandfathers. In many a High- 

 land mansion or farmhouse there is still 

 to be seen an ancient tackle-book, and 

 the flies in the parchment pockets or 

 stuck into the flannel leaves are invariably 

 at least twice as large as any with which 

 we should think of fishing on much- 

 whipped waters now. Is there not a 

 clear inference ? These rude flies certainly 

 did take trout, and many of them. 

 Happily, indeed, sometimes there is still 

 their old owner to tell you so. It may 

 be that large lures are successful on Loch 

 Derculich merely because that water and 

 its trout are to-day in a state of nature 

 similar to that of all Highland lochs and 

 their trout sixty or seventy years ago. 



