A STRANGE contraption buzzes outside our door. Powered by a large gas cylinder, it hums quietly away to itself and its purpose is only explained when I read the name on the front of the machine. Mosquito Magnet.

What a good idea, because mosquitos, midges or cleggs as John calls them, are very definitely not a good idea in this part of Scotland. Our cottage, we are back up here fishing again, is close to a number of hill lochs, the breeding ground for these insects. So the Mosquito Magnet is worth its weight in gold as far as I am concerned.

The midges we get back home are not anywhere near as vicious as the little biters. Perhaps they are all fiercely nationalistic and out to repel us. After all, when I tried to download a programme I wanted to watch on my iPad, a message came up that I was not in the UK and therefore unable to record.

We have an extra fishing companion with us on this trip. Our spaniel puppy Moss. She has had a variety of names while John settled on the most fitting nomenclature for his new shooting companion. Moss is now the preferred address for her. And, after what must have been a confusing time for her, the name she responds to.

And respond she does. We both cannot believe our luck to have such a bright little dog. At 10 weeks she sits on command. Brings back her toy pheasant and drops it at your feet without hesitation. Has never made a mess in the house indicates that she wants to go out for a wee.

Tomorrow we are going to take Moss out on the loch. She has a bright red puppy life jacket, as though I do not doubt she can swim, the loch is deep and cold, and neither of us want to leap in after her should she decide to head back for dry land when 20 yards off shore.

There has been so little rainfall in this part of Scotland that there is little chance of any fish coming up river from the Kyle. There may be fish already in the loch waiting to go further upstream, but John feels the salmon he caught yesterday was rather a fluke. Hopefully it has found its way upstream after the trauma of a brief minute out of the river while its picture was taken.

And hopefully too we will have no need of the Mosquito Magnet in the middle of the loch. Fish from the bank and you will attract hundreds of the bitey, buzzy, belligerent little beasts. Ya boo sucks from the middle of the loch. Until we have to land.