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KILLARNEY-HOW TO SEE IT, AND WHERE TO FISH IT. 143

sive and magnificent view is obtained, embracing the whole of the surrounding mountains and all the lakes, even out to where they join the broad Atlantic through the river Loune. I rode to the summit of " Gloun-na-Coppul" (Anglice, the Glen of the Horse), which is enclosed on every side by the most rugged and precipitous mountains. After enjoying this scene, I returned and had my breakfast, and proceeded in a car to the Gap of Dunloe. Here I alighted, and having taken a guide, walked through the Gap, and over the mountain to Lord Brandon's boat-house below Gheramine Cottage, where my boat was in waiting. The Gap of Dunloe is situated between the Purple Mountain and M'Gillacuddy's Reeks; the entrance is very narrow. The mountains on each side, having the appearance of being torn asunder by some violent effort of nature, rise perpendicularly to a towering height, throwing a dark shadow on the waters of a small lake, between which and a 1 fty cliff is the pathway of the traveller. The scattered mass of broken rock and impending cliff of dark granite over your head render the passage, in the opinion of the timid, rather a hazardous undertaking. This pass leads you into the Valley of Coombe Dhuv, at the end of which is the "Red Trout Lake." A little farther on you have a beautiful view of the upper lake, with the tower of Lord Brandon's cottage as it were at your feet.

When I embarked in my boat I visited Ronan's Island, Arbutus and Ducks' Islands, and the Tunnel, and then left for the Long Range through Coleman's Eye. Here Coleman's leap is pointed out by the boatmen, and, that there may be no doubt about it, the marks of his feet are pointed out in the rock where he landed, visible enough for the believer in the marvellous! Through the Long Range I then viewed all the beauties of this enchanting region, and arrived in the middle lake about seven o'clock, where I visited O'Donohue's "wine cellars," saw "his horse," and landed under the Waterfall of Turk. I walked up to it, and after spending about half an hour enjoying its beauties from every point of view, I proceeded to my hotel, pleased with my day's journey.

Next day I drove through Lord Kenman's demesne, which commands a beautiful view of the lower lake and the mountains on its shores, and then proceeded to Ross Island, entering it by the castle, the ruins of which stand on your right hand. These picturesque ruins are the remains of one of the strongholds of the O'Donohues. In 1652 it was defended by Lord Muskerry against the Parliamentarians, but surrendered to Ludlow. The road through this island is beautifully laid out along its rocky shore, which is richly ornamented with plantations of every variety of tree. The arbutus, the laurel, and other evergreens here flourish in glorious luxuriance. I embarked at Ross Castle to visit the beauties of the lower lake-O'Donohue's Prison, Heron and Lamb Island, and Brown and Rabbit Islands, and the most beautiful of all the islands, "sweet Innisfallen," rendered immortal by Moore's melody beginning with the words, "Sweet Innisfallen!" On this island is an abbey, founded by St. Finnian the Leper, in the sixth century, the ruins of which at present are but inconsiderable, the oratory only remaining entire. It is now the banqueting house for the visitors; but an examination of its richly-ornamented doorway will please the lover of the antique. From Innisfallen I proceeded to O'Sullivan's Cascade.

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KILLARNEY-HOW TO SEE IT, AND WHERE TO FISH IT.

Compared with Turk Waterfall, it is but "a mere dribble of a thing," as one of the boatmen truly described it. I then returned to Ross Castle, and proceeded in the car to Aghadoe, and spent my second day, leaving little more to be seen of the prominent features of sweet Killarney.

This was how I angled for the views of the beauties of Nature. How I angled for the finny tribe it would be now too tedious to go over minutely; but from the following directions, the angler will easily arrive at the manner in which I spent six of the pleasantest days I ever passed. I now speak of trout-fishing on the lakes, where I promise the reader good sport if the weather is at all favourable.

Procure Mr. Lindsey's fisherman, Denis Shea, if you can; if not, his son John is a good fisherman, a capital boatman, and excellent guide, to the fishing haunts. You will not find trout in every spot; they have their peculiar lodges, and if you would have them, you must go to their homes and catch them. With a dark day and a good wind, I am much mistaken if a basket of capital trout cannot be had in the following fishings:- When you leave the Muckross shore, proceed towards Brickeen-bridge. You will find along the shore several good spots. When you pass through the bridge-you are then in the middle lake. Fish along towards the mines in the trout course, called Dundag. Under Mr. Herbert's cottage, at the foot of Turk Waterfall, and on to Dinas Cottage, is a capital range; you will often meet a peal in this fishing. When you come to Dinas, fish closely from the landing-place, round the lower point of the lake, towards where you entered at Brickeen-bridge. This is a capital throw, as I killed 15 good trout, each over half-a-pound, in this short fishing. Another capital spot for trout is the bay opposite the Eagle's Nest, in the Long Range: a careful sportsman will meet some good brown trout in this locality. The trout in those lakes are not very large-a pound weight being considered a good fish. If the sportsman wishes to catch a basket of six or eight pounders, he must fish the Shannon above Killaloe, where I have taken two dozen of trout in a day's fishing, averaging four pounds each.

For salmon and peal fishing, in Killarney, there are some excellent casts on the lakes. One of the most taking is in Glena Bay, on the Back Channel, which flows from the Upper Lake, through the Long Range. There is also a famous spot, called the "The Belliheens, or Newfoundland," in Glena Bay. Another capital course for a good fish is the "Naked Stone," on the Muckross shore. There are very good casts on the north and south sides of Ash Island, and a well-known lodge for a peal near Friar's Island; but I found the best spot on the lower lake for peal or salmon to be Robin's Point, near Ross Island, and File Killeagh, which is near Robin's Point.

On the upper lake, Coleman's Eye is a good cast for a spring fish, and farther up on the lake is a rock called the "Black Buoy," which is never without a fish. The boatmen here who are fishermen, and they are not many, have each his own favourite spot; but those I have here named are noted haunts. In a river the fisherman need not be told where the lie of the salmon is; but on a lake it is a different affair. the former, where the stream runs, or the rocky places occur, there the salmon love to abide; but in the lake no stream is visible to guide the

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eye of the angler, and nothing but an intimate knowledge of the lie of the fish from practice and observation will do for the sportsman. A stranger to the "wide waste of waters" may toil all day, and yet catch no fish; while he who is acquainted with the fishing spots will not fail to fill his bag or basket. In coming from the upper lake, in my last visit, I was told to take a few casts near Plummer's Island, and in less than ten minutes I hooked and killed a capital salmon about seven pounds.

If my reader visits Killarney, and tries some of the above spots, he must be a bungler if he has not some sport. But then as to the flies? "Aye! there's the rub." It is one thing to have a nice-looking fly; but it is another thing to make the fish think so. If you have not a well-dyed colour in the body of the flies you fish with, on a lake particularly, you had better not go out at all. If you depend on flies you purchase, you are in nine cases out of ten disappointed, as, like the "razors warranted," they are made to sell. The best and most finished fly-tier London had to boast of, is no more. William Blacker, who would no more sell a fly with a bad-dyed hackle than he could tie a bad-made fly, has left a gap amongst the fishing-tackle makers that time only can fill up. I believe his widow still carries on the business; and I only wish I could possess myself of what fly-tackle, of his own manufacture, he left behind him. Peace to his ashes!

On the Lakes of Killarney you need not fish large for trout; indeed, after May, you cannot fish small enough. A claret body, with red hackle, is one of the best flies at any season-why, is a puzzle for fishermen, as it is an unusual fly on most other rivers I fished, and there are few trout rivers in Kerry, Cork, or Limerick, but what I have taken toll out of, in the way of a good day's sport. The other favourite flies

for the lake are a blue body and tomtit's wing, a hare's ear and yellow -in every river a good fly-a grouse (red), a brown partridge, and the wren tied on a black body, a brown body, and a green body. These are three favourite flies of mine-an olive body, with an olive hackle and no wing, will be found killing when all other flies are passed by. Those patterns are the master flies for Killarney lake. Of course, I am speaking now to fishermen who have their books well filled with the general flies for summer. Again, I say, you cannot fish too small! Let your casting lines be of the very finest round gut, and your flies tied on the finest gut that can be had.

For peal fishing, a green-silk body, with a pair of wren hackles, and plain mallard wing-a hare's ear and yellow body, with a pair of grey hackles, and brown-turkey and mallard wing, will meet a fish when other more dandy-looking flies will not cause even "a fin to wag." An entire black fly, with silver tinsel and crow's-feather wing, is also very good in the month of August; it is a good imitation of the black-beetle that will be found in potato gardens under the stones.

And now I wish my readers a farewell, and a pleasant journey to the most romantic spot in the "Island of Saints ;" and when there, good sport on those lonely lakes which lie amid Killarney's mountains

"Those mighty mountains, which there stand
To sentinel this fairy land."

"UNDER WEIGH!"

ENGRAVED BY W. GILLER, FROM A PAINTING BY A. COOPER, R.A.

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Under weigh! and with what prospects? Let us look to our letters of advice, as the bagmen say:"On the front range of the Grampians," then, writes an old correspondent, "the grouse are to be better than last season, though many of the broods are small in size, and will barely be food for powder by the twelfth.' hills of the Ochills, however, the grouse are to be strong on the wing On the green by the opening day; while in the far North-such as in the locality of Carrbrig, and on the high grounds of the Dee and Spey-they will be found a very sorry crop. These ranges of mountains were covered with snow on the twentieth of June, and disease has made sad havoc amongst the old birds since the spring. With anything like good weather, I think we shall have fine sport on the Twelfth."

Another authority, the Banffshire Journal, speaks thus honestly of the coming season; not as with some of our Northern friends, who are sure to make the approaching season, whenever it may happen to be, like Mrs. Jorrocks's rat "the biggest as ever was seen":

"We have reports from the principal moors and forests in Aberdeen, Banff, Moray, Inverness, and Ross-shires. These accounts speak of disease having been to a slight extent prevalent among the grouse in the earlier dry months of spring. The rains of May and June, however, stopped the epidemic in the old birds, but proved very injurious to hatching, and subsequently to the young broods, especially on the highest grounds. In the valleys appearances are more favourable, pretty large broods having been seen, looking strong and well advanced. On the Banffshire moors the appearances are generally favourable. Of the Benrinnes district, an attentive observer says 'The young broods are not as numerous as last year. Scarcely a covey is to be seen on the high ground, only barren birds. Lower down there are a good many young birds, and they are pretty strong. Some of them were on wing six weeks ago, but others are far back, owing to the snow having this year lain so long on the hills, which kept back hatching. The birds have been quite free from disease all the season, and are all, young and old, quite healthy-looking. Of the Billindalloch and Glenlivet moors, a correspondent writing on Wednesday last, says-The snow in May destroyed a great many nests of young grouse on the high grounds, but in the hollows the young birds are pretty numerous-more so than last year, the greater part of them having taken wing. Both old and young are healthy.' From the Cabrach moors, situated partly in Aberdeenshire and partly in Banffshire, a correspondent writes that the prospect of the grouse-shooting this season are not so flattering as some previous years. the dry early spring caused the packs to break up and divide into pairs The open winter and earlier than usual. From Cromar, Aberdeenshire, a correspondent thus writes on Wednesday last-The grouse-shooting on the high hills in this quarter will be one-third deficient in numbers this season, owing to the stormy weather in the end of spring and the beginning of May.' The several gamekeepers on the moors of Culnakyle, Carr Bridge, Kinrara, and

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