ays possible to pull across to a
convenient corner of The Rocks, and save ourselves a considerable
journey by land. As time went on the brimming lake disappeared; little
white heads of stones would appear one morning, and thereafter enlarge
day by day until they emerged as innumerable upstanding boulders. The
boat was now no longer available, for the water was so shallow that it
was blocked effectually at the outset. The stream, of course, charged
down upon The Rocks in gathering strength, and for the first fortnight
we were always sure of a grilse or two. At first The Rocks had to be
fished by standing on their open crowns, and although one was in
constant fear of scaring the fish by showing on such an eminence, no
great harm seemed to be done, probably because there was a background
of pine trees in the forest behind. As time advanced little ledges on
the rock slopes were left dry by the water, and it was possible to
slide down to them on all fours and fish the run with the rocks behind
us, necessitating left-handed casting, but giving perfect command of
about 60 yards of stream, which was for a while sure holding ground,
since it was deepest at the foot of the rocks.

"Sarcelle" had his first experience of a fish on the Mandal river from
this place, and it was rather unfortunate. If I remember rightly, it
was Sunday evening, and in a shame-faced sort of way we had gone out at
seven o'clock to fish. The grilse were then running, and, as they are
here to-day and gone to-morrow, and I had already discovered that they
did not linger long in our parts, it was almost a duty not to allow a
day to pass without an attempt. "Sarcelle" had adventured upon a
Mayfly cast with a fly of sea trout size as dropper, and in point of
fact a sea trout fly at the end. I was sitting down filling a pipe
when he made his first cast, more by way of wetting his line than
anything else, and "I've got him" brought me to my feet, only in time
to see a grilse bend the rod and then break away. At the next cast a
salmon came, took one of the small flies, made a thrilling run, and
then snapped the collar.

Even after this mishap "Sarcelle" killed his grilse and lent me his rod
to try for another. We had an example that evening of the way in which
fish are made shy. "Sarcelle" had the first turn down the pool, and,
besides losing two and catching one, he rose several others, three or
four of them showing away on shallow water that was rip