38 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



the salmon have been found to be necessary for the more 

 important use of man. The City of Glasgow takes its chief 

 water supply from Loch Katrine. Seventy-nine million 

 gallons of water are taken every twenty-four hours, and 

 43,000,000 odd gallons are given to the river by way of com- 

 pensation. It is useless to mourn over this. Glasgow has got 

 her water supply for all time, and although the cry is ever 

 for more she has done her duty in building most substantial 

 salmon passes where these were required. 



In the old days, Loch Vennacher must have been the spring 

 fishing loch of this district, the Loch Tay or Loch Ness of the 

 Forth. I have been informed by one who has had long experi- 

 ence of fishing in this neighbourhood that he has known a rod 

 take nine salmon in -a day in Loch Vennacher. This main 

 source of the Teith is much reduced in an absolutely permanent 

 and irrevocable manner, and the potential value of the salmon 

 fisheries impaired in proportion. The Leny water on the north 

 and the Forth on the south are as yet untouched, although 

 a resolute attempt has been made, unsuccessfully, to secure the 

 former. In the meantime, however, " the Second City in the 

 Empire " has laid hands upon Loch Arklet, a high loch beyond 

 Loch Chon, which naturally drains into Loch Lomond at 

 Inversnaid, but will in future add a sixth to Glasgow's water 

 through Loch Katrine, and also upon one or two lesser supplies. 



The united river as one sees it at Stirling or at Craigforth is 

 still in appearance a stream of important size, and pleasure 

 steamers and small craft find their way up to Stirling, but the 

 attraction to ascending fish must be sensibly less than it used 

 to be. The influence of the tide extends above Stirling to 

 Craigforth, where the old Craigforth Cruive Dyke, which is a 

 natural barrier of rock with stone building superadded, 

 practically marks the limit, although in high spring tides the 

 flow of water is affected above this point. 



From Craigforth to Alloa the tidal water is regularly fished 

 by sweep net. At the height of the season there are 37 

 shots fished, although considerable variation seems to exist 

 as to the particular hailing grounds used, there being 

 some 63 of these available in the whole stretch of 

 water. Above Craigforth also, three stations are fished at the 

 junction of Teith and Forth, and a few shots are annually 



