THE SPEY 153 



of Banff. This is the important part of the river from a 

 salmon-angling point of view, and the splendid character of the 

 water cannot be more easily and speedily viewed than from 

 " The Speyside Line " of the Great North of Scotland Railway 

 between Grantown and Craigellachie. From the latter point 

 to the sea the same fine character continues, one might almost 

 say an even finer character is found. 



The particular fishings are Castle Grant, Revack, Tulchan, 

 Dalchroy, Ballindalloch, Pitcroy, Knockando, Laggan, Carron, 

 Western Elchies, Aberlour, Easter Elchies, Arndilly, Rothes, 

 Aikenway, Delfur, Orton, and Gordon Castle. 



As fine salmon fishing water as can be found in all Scotland 

 is included here, and the value of these fishings is steadily and 

 substantially rising. 



At Ballindalloch the largest tributary of the Spey enters. 

 This river, the Avon, commonly pronounced Aan, has a course 

 of some 45 miles from little Loch Avon, at the back of Cairn- 

 gorm, to Ballindalloch. Its direction is very largely parallel 

 to the main river, flowing as it does close to Tomintoul 

 reputed to be the highest village but one in Scotland and 

 along the east side of the hills of Cromdale. The water of 

 this stream, coming as it does from clean rocky country, is 

 quite remarkably pure, so much so, that one is warned to be 

 extremely careful in wading, since depths are very deceptive. 

 It contains some fine trout, and, as the season advances, a fair 

 number of salmon may be got on suitable days About 5 

 miles from the mouth the Li vet joins the Avon. The purity 

 of Glen Livet water, of the strong variety, is well known 

 amongst thirsty Britishers in many parts of the world. 



The only other important tributary is the Fiddick. It is 

 not a large stream ; but in spite of certain dangers to fish from 

 the distilleries of Dufftown and the neighbourhood, as well as 

 from domestic sewage, it is an extremely valuable tributary 

 to the Spey. Late running fish at times enter it in very great 

 numbers at the back-end of the year. It is the first tributary 

 which such fish encounter on this ascent of the main river, 

 although it is about 16 miles from Spey mouth. The descrip- 

 tions which have occasionally been given of the show of fish 

 in the Fiddick remind one of accounts from the Fraser River 

 in British Columbia where they still " eat what they can, 



