buttheploughhaspassedoverallbuttheupperpastoralsolitudes。TurningagaintothedownwardslopeyouseethelochofAlemoor，smallandsullen，withAlewaterfeedingit。Nobodyknowsmuchaboutthetroutinit。\"Itisreckonedtheresidenceofthewater-cow，\"amonsterliketheAustralianbunyip。Therewasawater-cowinScott\'slochofCauldshiels，aboveAbbotsford。Thewater-cowhasnotlatelyemergedfromAlemoortoattackthecasualangler。Youclimbagainbygentleslopestillyoureachamostdesolatetable-land。FarbeyonditistheroundtopofWhitecombe，whichagainlooksdownonSt。Mary\'sLoch，anduptheMoffat，andacrosstheMeggatWater；butnoneofthesearewithintheview。
Roundarepastorumlocavasta，landsofBuccleughandBellenden，Deloraine，Sinton，Headshaw，andGlack。Deloraine，bytheway，ispronounced\"Delorran，\"andperhapsisnamedfromOrran，theCelticsaint。Ontherightlies，notfarfromtheroad，agreysheetofwater，andthisisClearburn，wherefirstImettheDoctor。
Theloch，tobeplain，isalmostunfishable。Itisnearlyround，andeverywhere，exceptinasmallsegmentontheeasternside，isbegirtwithreedsofgreatheight。Thesereeds，again，growinapeculiarlyuncomfortable，quaggybottom，whichrisesandfalls，orratherwhichjumpsandsinkswhenyousteponit，liketheseatofaveryluxuriousarm-chair。Moreover，thebottomispiercedwithmanysprings，whereinifyousetfootyoushallhavethrownyourlastcast。
Bywatchingthelochwhenitisfrozen，amanmightcometolearnsomethingofthesprings；but，evenso，itishardtokeepclearoftheminsummer。Nowthewindalmostalwaysblowsfromthewest，deadagainstthelittlepieceofgravellyshoreattheeasternside，sothatcastingagainstitishardworkandunprofitable。Onthisday，byararechance，thewindblewfromtheeast，thoughtheskyatfirstwasabrilliantblue，andthesunhotandfierce。I
walkedroundtotheeastside，wadedin，andcaughttwoorthreesmallfellows。Itwasslowwork，whensuddenlytherebeganthegreatestriseoftroutIeversawinmylife。Fromtheedgeofthelochasfarasonecouldclearlyseeacrossittherewasthatendlessplashingmurmur，ofallsoundsinthisworldthesweetesttotheear。Withintheviewoftheeye，oneachcast，therewereadozentroutrisingallabout，neverleaping，butseriouslyandsolemnlyfeeding。Nowismychanceatlast，Ifancied；butitwasnotso——farfromit。Imightthrowovertheverynosesofthebeasts，buttheyseldomevenglancedattheartificialfly。I