They are farther off from towns and
tourists, though distance is scarcely a complete protection. The best
lochs for yellow trout are decidedly those of Sutherland. There are no
railways, and there are two hundred lochs and more in the Parish of
Assynt. There, in June, the angler who is a good pedestrian may actually
enjoy solitude, sometimes. There is a loch near Strathnaver, and far
from human habitations, where a friend of my own recently caught sixty-
five trout weighing about thirty-eight pounds. They are numerous and
plucky, but not large, though a casual big loch-trout may be taken by
trolling. But it is truly a far way to this anonymous lake and all round
the regular fishing inns, like Inchnadampf and Forsinard there is usually
quite a little crowd of anglers. The sport is advertised in the
newspapers; more and more of our eager fellow-creatures are attracted,
more and more the shooting tenants are preserving waters that used to be
open. The distance to Sutherland makes that county almost beyond the
range of a brief holiday. Loch Leven is nearer, and at Loch Leven the
scenery is better than its reputation, while the trout are excellent,
though shy. But Loch Leven is too much cockneyfied by angling
competitions; moreover, its pleasures are expensive. Loch Awe remains, a
loch at once large, lovely, not too distant, and not destitute of sport.
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