MAY 121 



any one can take them at any time. The 

 Provost and I fared well because we had 

 chosen a day of fortunate conditions. 

 The stream was full, and the atmosphere 

 was volatile. Had the water been low or 

 the weather sultry we should have failed. 

 As things were, indeed, signs were not 

 lacking that the fish of the hill streams 

 share with the fish of the valleys those 

 strange instincts which make angling a 

 pastime so precarious. In the afternoon 

 the Provost set off across the rocks and 

 the heather to try a stream about a mile 

 off. We were to meet where that water 

 and the Moness joined, not far above the 

 village. When again I saw him His 

 Honour reported : " Not a trout, and not 

 a nibble ! " I myself had taken about a 

 dozen fish since we had parted ; but no 

 doubt that was because, the store of 

 worms having given out, I had been 

 using flies. If I had used the Provost's 

 bait I should have fared no better than 

 he. This is important. If any one has an 

 impression that mountain streams are not 



