222 BRITISH FRESH-WATER FISHES 
fresh [from the sky. As the water gradually worked down 
through the chain of lochs, it filled up this lower lake to the 
top of the dam. But this took a long time—nearly a week. 
When at last this was accomplished we were ready to cut the 
dam, and, as it was some one and a half miles from the sea, 
we reckoned (as it proved correctly) that it would take an 
hour for the water to reach the sea from the lake. On 
August 22nd the high tide was about 4.30, so the dam was 
cut after lunch, and, as a fact, did not take much cutting, as 
in a few more hours it must have given way. 
«“ As I have described, at the mouth of the river was the 
large sea basin, at high tide crammed with fish pressing up 
as near as they could to where the little trickle of fresh water 
was still running. As the fresh water from the loch came 
rushing down the excitement began. First a small shoal of 
salmon tried the passage, then more came rushing in. So 
madly did they swarm in that they pressed each other to the 
sides, and many ran right ashore or scrambled up in water 
not deep enough to cover them. Had we wished, nothing 
would have been easier than to have scooped them out in 
landing-nets by the score. 
“We sat watching this wonderful sight till it grew dusk, 
and had long given up counting or trying to estimate the 
numbers of fish running in. They must, without exaggeration, 
have run in by thousands in the forty-eight hours that our 
spate lasted. The next morning, I well remember, was clear 
and bright, and, walking up the river, the pools seemed literally 
paved with fish, even in all sorts of unlikely and unaccustomed 
places.” 
The result was a munificent reward for the labour 
expended. The fish, instead of being spread throughout 
the whole chain of lakes, were crowded into the lowest 
lake, which is little more than a mile long. The bag 
for six days was as follows, all the fish being fairly taken 
with the fly :-— 
