114 AN ANGLER'S SEASON 



can deny that even three trout were 

 more than could be expected in such 

 weather at the high noon of spring ? 

 Still, the basket held six more than that 

 by five o'clock, when it was time to go. 



Then there was further cause for 

 astonishment. James had mentioned, in 

 the morning, that most of the trout in 

 Loch-na-Craig were Lochlevens. Why 

 had we been so unlucky as to catch no 

 Lochleven trout ? I had scrutinised each 

 of our nine fish as it was being played 

 into the landing-net, and never a Loch- 

 leven had I seen. That had been the only 

 real disappointment. Our fish, while we 

 were afloat, had been in a pail. On 

 landing, James turned them out on the 

 heather, and, behold ! most of them were 

 Lochlevens. There was no mistaking the 

 shape or the sheen. The brown tint 

 derived from the essence of peat in the 

 Highland water had vanished on exposure 

 to the air. 



On our way down the hill, James 

 Stewart admitted that a basket of nine 



