THE AWE 8g 



make it impossible to wade out far enough to reach the lie of ihe fish. 

 The first glance at these planks gives one the impression that this 

 is an effeminate method of reaching the fish, evolved from the brain 

 of some Sybarite angler. 



There is a tradition of a wandering autumn tourist who once 

 joined a fisher coming off the plank at Pol Verie, in which the 

 September fish were splashing in all directions ; he heralded his 

 approach by exclaiming in an authoritative voice, " Well, sir, yours 

 is indeed fishing made easy ! But how is it you have caught 

 nothing when there are such lots of fish ? " Seeing that the 

 remark was made in the good faith of ignorance, it was duly ex- 

 plained that the splashing fish had been a long time in the river 

 and would look at nothing. This was followed by an invitation 

 to come and try the pool below, which was also plentifully stocked ; 

 the offer was greedily accepted, and on reaching the Stone Pool 

 the angler handed his rod to the stranger and waved him on to 

 the planks. 



Now in this particular pool these boards are carried out to fully 

 mid-water, and though starting at right angles to the bank, the 

 end plank takes a nasty turn nearly directly up stream ; just on 

 reaching the end the angler finds himself right out in the middle 

 of the river, which, some six feet below him, swirls, foams, roars, 

 and rushes like a mill race. The combined width of the two planks 

 is but fifteen inches ; they are ever wet with spray, and consequently 

 slippery ; likewise the two planks have an unpleasant way of not 

 rising and falling together to the tread, which perplexes un- 

 accustomed feet ; moreover, it requires no prophet to tell that a 

 tumble might easily be fatal. 



Gaily the tourist, rod in hand, started from the shore. As he 

 advanced, shorter and shorter grew his steps, until at the beginning 

 of the last plank, which turned so awkwardly up stream, he came 

 to a halt, while to the dismay of the man on the bank, the butt 

 of his pet rod was suddenly lowered into the water and used as a 

 support ; then with many tottering steps the stranger began to 

 turn round, reveahng a face almost as white as the foam racing 

 below him. Having set his face shorewards, he then proceeded 

 to straddle the plank, and in this undignified position he worked 

 his way to land, exclaiming as he reached it, in tones of unmis- 

 takable relief, " Thank goodness, I am back again, for looking down 

 on the running river made me so giddy that I could hardly keep 

 from throwing myself in, and I see now it is not such a luxurious 

 style of fishing as I thought " — and, indeed, rarely have I seen 

 anyone go to the end of these planks for the first time without 

 feeling more or less giddy. 



We will now start from the top of the water on the east side or 

 right bank, and fish down to the tidal pool below Inverawe House. 



No. I. The Brander Pool, belonging to Inverawe, and rented 

 for many years by Colonel Thorpe, is a deep, black-looking water 

 requiring a stiff breeze, and only fishes well from this right bank 



