92 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



are neatly cut. With a fervent wish that a giant of the same size 

 may fall to his lot, the fisherman seats himself so that while he eats 

 he can command a view of the pool from the open door. On his 

 left hangs a brown paper cutting of a forty-five-pounder — length, 

 47J in., and girth 27! in. — caught here on the 17th of July 1896 

 by" Sir Robert Moncreiffe, with the river marking nine inches on 

 Colonel Murray's water gauge. On the wall at the back of the 

 angler is the outline of another big one of 39 lb., taken from the 

 Stone Pool on the 28th of June 1892, with the river at twenty-five 

 inches on the gauge ; and as a pendant hangs one of 38 lb., got on 

 the 28th of June 1887, both being victims to Colonel Murray's long 

 rod. Then on the right is the tracing of a twenty-eight-pounder, 

 also of the Colonel's, and one of 27 lb., a captive of Colonel Cokes 

 on the 1st of August 1884. Underneath comes a memorandum 

 to the effect that on the 25th of August 1886, Colonel Murray 

 hooked a very big fish here at four o'clock in the afternoon, which 

 broke him after two hours and three-quarters' exciting play. The 

 latest memento of monsters is dated the ist of August 1898 — a 

 forty-eight-pounder, hooked foul by the back fin and landed by the 

 Colonel in thirty-five minutes, 49 in. long, girth 26J in. 



In addition to these and other mementos of angling prowess, 

 the walls are further adorned with various photographs of many 

 well-known beautiful women. Thus surrounded by stirring reminis- 

 cences of sport, and gazed at by beauty, while watching the fish 

 splash in Pol Verie, small wonder that the frugal lunch and pipe 

 are more enjoyable than the grandest spread ever laid out on 

 Goodwood lawn ! 



Colonel Murray's usual catch is from seventy to a hundred grilse 

 and salmon, taken between the 15th of June and the 7th of August. 

 The latter have never averaged less than 16 lb., and have been as 

 high as 21 lb. ! There are also fair quantities of good sea trout in 

 this river. The best fly for them is dressed as follows on sizes eight 

 and nine of Limerick hooks : — 



Tail. Sprig of golden pheasant ruff. 



Tag. Two turns of silver twist. 



Body. Black, with wide turns of very narrow silver tinsel ; black 

 hackle. 



Wings. Dark mallard wing, not the mottled brown scapular 

 feathers lying behind the wings. This, with variations of red and 

 3'ellow bodies and hackles to match, are aU the necessary sea trout 

 flies. 



In August they take well at night, and congregate chiefly in the 

 Disputed, the Shallows, and Garravalt. 



On leaving Pol Verie we came to — 



No. 7. The Stone Pool, some two hundred yards below, with 

 a very good reputation, and, when once the angler can stand un- 

 concerned on the end plank, a very pretty pool to fish. 



No. 8. Passing dowmvards, ne.xt comes the Bothy Pool, so 

 named from the ruins of an old bothy built in the rock at the very 



