THE OICH 183 



inches broad and about 12 inches thick, and are placed in rows 

 at right angles to the sides of the pass, three stones in a row, 

 with spaces of about 16 inches between each. From the sluices 

 to the first row of stones the distance was 20 feet, but for the 

 rest of the way down the pass rows of stones occur every 15 

 feet. 



After the pass was completed, some alterations had to be 

 made at the intake in order to overcome the too great rush of 

 water which occurred in certain conditions of the river. It 

 was found that fish could easily swim up the pass, but had 

 difficulty in getting through the sluices into the river again. 

 It was also noticeable that the rate of flow was more gentle 

 half-way down the pass than it was at the intake. Two strong 

 buttresses of concrete were formed to give a narrow, zig-zag 

 entrance to the water, and by the placing of a series of wooden 

 weirs where the rows of stones were, a series of 4' deep pools has 

 been formed in the upper section of the pass. Without these 

 the pass would not have been a success. The practical result 

 has so far been that a valuable new spawning area has been 

 opened up to the fish of Loch Ness, and the accounts which have 

 reached me go to show that a very considerable head of fish 

 have taken advantage of it, and have been spawning in recent 

 winters in the head waters of the glen. As regards angling 

 results, one cannot perhaps speak quite so favourably. The 

 fish which ascend do so only in summer, and many of them 

 having in all probability been some time in Loch Ness, are not 

 free risers. Still, as the best conditions and lies in the river 

 are gradually discovered, the results may improve. In 1907 

 27 salmon were caught above the fall and 14 below. In 1908, 

 which was a year of small water during the summer months, 

 only 12 salmon were caught above the pass, although in the 

 latter part of the season a considerable number of fish were 

 seen. 



THE RIVER OICH 



The River Oich, which flows from Loch Oich into Loch Ness 

 at Fort Augustus, is about the same length as the River Ness, 

 i.e., fully six miles, and the descent in this distance is also 

 practically the same. In character it is the Ness over again, 

 only with much less water, exhibiting a fine series of pools and 



