THE NESS 



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mean of the Garry and fish are induced to ascend rapidly in 

 the open " streamy " water which so largely exists. While, 

 therefore, it was evident that all Garry fish had of necessity 

 to pass through the Ness, the belief arose that they did not take 

 in the Ness, and hence they were not fished for. 



Dochfour water is certainly the best, and always will be the 

 best ; but, in my opinion, the spring fishing and the autumn 

 fishing also, in the waters below, viz. Ness Castle, Ness Side, 

 Holm, The Four Cobles, and Bught, and the town water of 

 Inverness, could be considerably improved by some attention 

 to the formation of croys or low jetties, in properly selected 

 spots, so that suitable lies for fish might be created. There 

 are one or two very serviceable croys in the Garry, which have 

 been there for many years, and were no doubt erected by 

 some one who knew his business. In many parts of the Tay, 

 and especially in the upper waters where fish are apt to run 

 rapidly into Loch Tay, fishing has been vastly improved by 

 well-placed croys. Indeed, without the croys of the upper 

 Tay the spring fishing would be as poor as the Ness spring 

 fishing has been in years past. The Ness totals are nothing 

 like what they should be. 



Dochfour at present is good for 30 to 45 fish in the spring, 

 and 50 to 70 in the autumn. The lower Dochfour water, how- 

 ever, like the Laggan Pool of Ness Castle Water and several 

 other pools lower down, is a broad, even, unbroken flow passing 

 along a uniform river bed. It is in such pools that croys of 

 considerable size should be placed as a sure means of drawing 

 ascending fish into quiet lies for a time. Breaks in the 

 uniformity of the stream concentrate the fish into selected 

 spots and greatly increase the interest of the angling. 



The results of Ness Castle Water may, I think, be taken as 

 indicative of the general results of the river. Here are the 

 five quinquennial averages till the lowest ebb was passed : 



Season 1883-1887 . 

 1888-1892 . 

 1893-1897 . 



160 fish 

 122 



87 , 



Season 1898-1902 

 1903-1907 



65 fish 

 31 



In this period the maximum is 217, occurring in 1885, and the 

 minimum is 26, occurring twice in 1889 and in 1893. The river 

 has distinctly improved since these days, chiefly owing to the 



