42 ANGLING SKETCHES 



well provided with bays, of different merit, ac- 

 cording to the feeding which they provide ; some 

 come' earlier, some later into season. Doubtless 

 the most beautiful part of the lake is around the 

 islands, between the Loch Awe and the Port 

 Sonachan hotels. The Green Island, with its 

 strange Celtic burying-ground, where the daffodils 

 bloom among the sepulchres with their rude 

 carvings of battles and of armed men, has many 

 trout around its shores. The favourite fishing- 

 places, however, are between Port Sonachan and 

 Ford. In the morning early, the steam-launch 

 tows a fleet of boats down the loch, and they 

 drift back again, fishing all the bays, and arriving 

 at home in time- for dinner. Too frequently the 

 angler is vexed by finding a boat busy in his 

 favourite bay. I am not sure that, when the trout are 

 really taking, the water near Port Sonachan is not as 

 good as any other. Much depends on the weather. 

 In the hard north-east winds of April we can 

 scarcely expect trout to feed very freely anywhere. 

 These of Loch Awe are very peculiar fish. I take it 

 that there are two species — one short, thick, golden, 



