SPRING FISHING IN LOCH ARD. 233 
SPRING FISHING IN LOCH ARD. 
WHEN a man makes inquiry what sort of angling is 
to be had at this or that place, or this or that time, he 
is apt or almost certain to be misled. He will be 
told of “ good fishing” or of “ poor fishing ;” but these 
phrases have no fixed meaning, and -express the most 
different state of things in the mouths of different 
people. What would be reckoned wretched as a day’s 
“take” in one district, is regarded as a magnificent 
spoil in another. For instance, “a good day’s fishing” 
means quite a different thing in the south-eastern 
from what it means in the south-western counties of 
Scotland—the former districts being the best, and 
the latter pretty nearly the worst in the kingdom for 
river-fishing for yellow trout. Never shall we for- 
get being induced to perform a day’s severe bogtrot- 
ting and hill-climbing in Galloway, on the assurance 
of “splendid fishing” in a certain elevated region, and. 
finding, after careful and laborious experiment, that 
nothing was to be had but abortions blacker than 
your hat, and smaller than your little finger. Not 
certain—as no angler in strange waters ever ought to 
be certain—but that the fault might be in the fisher, 
