DUTIES OF BOATMAN.
Very little requires to be said in this chapter regarding boatmen, as
when the angler gets into the habit of frequenting certain lochs, he
soon finds out for himself the steady reliable men in the neighbourhood,
and can generally engage one of them beforehand by writing to the hotel
at which he means to put up. But in going to a new fishing-ground, he is
better to leave himself in the hands of the landlord of the hotel, and if
not satisfied with his first day's experience of the man who accompanied
him, let him change. A good boatman is a treasure; and though we are
decidedly against the system of "tipping" indiscriminately, we say, when
you get a good man, pay him liberally. We know of some men with whom it
is a pleasure to be out all day, and whose company, in its own way, is
most enjoyable. Keen sportsmen these are, and the capture or loss of a
fish is a source of true pleasure or pain. Other men one comes across
seem but to row the boat, and nothing more; and an unproductive day in
such company is something to be looked back upon with horror. The
leading qualification of a boatman of the right sort is a strong
sympathy with the angler, which enables him almost instinctively to help
the angler to cover every inch of likely water with his flies, and makes
him experience the sensation of expecting a rise every cast; in other
words, he almost puts the fly into the fish's mouth. With such a man,
instructions regarding the management of the boat are superfluous; but
as it often happens that you do not get a first-rate hand, you have to
take matters into your own hands to some extent; and we shall give you a
few hints as to what is best to be done under such circumstances. It is
hardly to be supposed that your man is in ignorance of the best ground,
either from experience or hearsay, and it is only after you get there
that our instructions can possibly come into operation. If you are
obliged to take a perfect greenhorn, we know of no other course than to
order him to keep in the wake of some other boat, but that at such a
distance as not to be offensive. (See next chapter on the "Etiquette of
Loch-fishing.") But let us assume that you get on to ground where fish
are: the first point is to see that everything is in order, all
unnecessary articles put out of the way, and the landing-net and gaff
conveniently at hand. We ought to have said that a large stone in the
bow is useful, not only to balance the boat and make her drift better,
but also as a weight to which a rope may be attached, and thus let over
the side to the depth of a few feet, to prevent her drifting too rapidly
should there happen to be a heavy breeze on. The next thing is to get
the boat properly broadside to the wind, so that you may have next to no
trouble in casting. Should a fish be hooked, see that the man keeps
working the boat in such a manner that the fish cannot possibly get
underneath: a single stroke of the oar in the proper direction is
generally all that is necessary. You must also judge from the size of
the fish, and the length and strength of your tackle, whether it is
expedient that the man should follow the fish if he makes a very long
run. If your line happens to be short--which it will not be, if you have
followed the instructions given in Chapter III.--you need not be
surprised if you find nothing left but your rod and reel, your line, and
mayhap a "half-croon flee" flying about the loch in charge of a fish.
The management of the landing-net or gaff is another serious matter. If
the fish be small, tell the man to have the net ready, and "run it in;"
but if it is a good-sized fish, you must tell him not to put the net
near till he gets the word from you. Many a time we have suppressed an
exclamation--the reverse of a blessing--when we have seen the hoop of
the landing-net strike the fish, and were in suspense for a second or
two as to whether he was on or off. If the gaff is necessary, it is
almost as well to let your man hold the rod after you have tired the
fish thoroughly, and gaff him yourself. But if you think it unadvisable
to part with the rod, send the man to the other end of the boat from
yourself, and then lead the fish near him, so that he may have a fair
chance. He must put the gaff _over_ the fish till the point is in a
line with its broadside, and then with a sudden _jerk_ sink the steel
into, or even through, the animal, and lift him over the gunwale with
all possible speed. A sharp blow or two on the snout will deprive the
fish of life. Always kill your fish,--big or small,--as nothing ought to
be more repulsive to a true sportsman than to see or hear any animal he
has captured dying by inches.
It is perhaps needless to say that in the matter of lunch and drink, due
consideration should always be paid to your boatman's wants; indeed if
he has had a hard time of it rowing against a stiff breeze, nothing is
lost by landing at mid-day and letting him enjoy half an hour's rest and
a smoke after he has refreshed his inner man. Sometimes--such as in a
club competition--such luxuries must be denied; but even then he can put
you on to a square drift, and enjoy his lunch and smoke while you are
fishing; and you, on the other hand, can take yours when he is changing
ground. These remarks may seem trifling; but we only give you our
experience, when we say that on some lochs where good boatmen are not
plentiful, the angler who has shown most kindness and consideration on
past occasions is never much put about for want of a man, even in a busy
season. And we have known, when every regular boatman was engaged, that
there was generally a boatman's "friend" in the neighbourhood who was
pressed into our service, and that often at a few minutes' notice.