SCOTCH LOCH FISHING. 147 



best Loch fly in Scotland. On some days the trout will only have 

 It when fished deep ; on others they prefer it bobbing over the top 

 of the ripples. A " Claret and Mallard" comes next, I think, in 

 order of merit. Certainly it is the best fly on Lochs Rannoch and 

 Luydon in Perthshire. Then the " March Brown," " Red and 

 Teal," " Heckum Peckum" and "Green and Grouse" are good. 

 Different Lochs have their favourite flies, but that which was best 

 on a certain Loch one season may not be equally good the next. 

 For instance, on Loch Awe, in Sutherland, the " Red and Teal " 

 was by far the best fly in June, two years ago — last year, during 

 the same month, the trout would have nothing to say to it. But 

 perhaps this Loch is exceptional, for during June enormous rises 

 of May-fly come on, and the trout do not rise freely to anything 

 else. Only on one other Loch in this neighbourhood did I see any 

 quantity of May-fly ; on Loch Assynt, only three miles off, I never 

 saw even a solitary specimen. No doubt this accounts for the 

 trout on Loch Awe being exceptionally fine fish. On an ordinary 

 day they will average a pound — and larger fish are not at all rare — 

 while in Assynt, a Loch at least eighty times as large, the trout 

 only average three to the pound. 



I have found a small " Red Spinner" tied on a drawn gut very 

 useful on calm, bright days. By casting from the shore into the 

 rings made by the rising trout, good sport may be had. In 

 connection with this, I once saw a rather amusing incident. At 

 the bottom of Loch Assynt there are a number of springs, which 

 are continually throwing up large bubbles. These from a distance 

 appear exactly like fish feeding on the surface, and I once saw a 

 man wade carefully out to within twenty yards of these bubbles. 

 He then proceeded to offer them various flies, and fished most In- 



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