72 A^'GLI.XG SKETCBES 



in the \\'cst ; on the cast, within a hundred \-ards, 

 under a slope, is I.och Beg. It is not a mile in 

 circumference, and all but some eight}- }-ards of 

 shore is defended against the angler b\' wide beds 

 of ^^ater-lilies, with their prett}- \\"hite floating 

 lamps, or by tall sedges and reeds. Nor is the 

 wading eas}-. Four steps you make with safet)', at 

 the fifth your foremost leg sinks in mud apparently 

 bottomless. Alost people fish onlj- the eastern 

 side, whereof a few score \-arcls arc open, with a 

 rock}- and gra\-elly bottom. 



Now, all lochs ha\-e their humours. In some 

 trout like a big fl}-, in some a small one, but 

 almost all do best with a rough wind or rain. I 

 knew enough of Loch Beg to approach it at noon 

 on a blazing da}- of sunshine, when the surface was 

 like glass. It was like that when first I saw it, 

 and a shepherd warned us that we ' would dae 

 naething ' ; we did little, indeed, but I rose nearl}- 

 ever}- rising fish I cast o\'er, losing them all, too, 

 and in some cases being broken, as I was using 

 \-er}- fine gut, and tiie fish were hca\-}-. Another 

 trial seemed desirable, and the number of rising 



