■18 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS chak : 



to press foKward as soon as he feels the net, whereas the trout 

 'in these, clear .waters always escape the danger by turning 

 back as soon as they touch the meshes. 



The Highland shepherds kill numbers of the spawning trout 

 ,in the. autumn, in every little stream and rill, however small, 

 which feeds the lake. At this time of the year the trout are 

 ■seized' with, an irresistible inclination for ascending any running 

 stream that they can find ; and I have seen large trout of several 

 .pounds' weight taken out of holes in very small runs of water. 

 Ito get into which they must have made their way for consider- 

 ■able distances up a channel iwhere the water could not nearly 

 cover them. Still, as long as a trout can keep his head against 

 the stream, so long will he endeavour to work his way up. 

 Numbers of fish, and always the largest, fall a prey not only to 

 men, but to every prowling fox or wild cat who passes their 

 way during the autumn, and all vermin instinctively hunt along 

 the edge of water during the night-time. A trout in shallow 

 water is easily caught by any of these animals. Even the 

 buzzard and the raven succeed in capturing them when^ they 

 are left in small rills, as is frequently the case, having been 

 tempted to ascend them by some shower, which swells the 

 water ifor a short time and then leaves it as low as ever. 



PLOVERS 



