184 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



streams, rather rapid in certain places but always interesting. 



The upper part belongs to the Ellice Estate of Glengarry, 

 the lower and larger portion to Lord Lovat. The water is 

 always clear, even when in flood, since the Garry and the lochs 

 above are fed from rocky hill streams. 



The river is said to fish best when fairly high, which means 

 that best success is obtained when the flooded Oich is drawing 

 fish from Loch Ness. It is a spring river, and its success as an 

 angling stream depends upon catching Garry fish in the bye- 

 going. 



In the pools of the lower portion of the river fish rest in their 

 ascent, and, given suitable conditions, results may be quite 

 good ; and, of course, the class of fish is the same as that of the 

 Garry. The upper pools do not appear to hold fish well, how- 

 ever, and here, as well as in certain parts of the lower water, 

 the placing of croys at well-selected spots would, I have no 

 doubt, materially improve results. 



At present the annual catch may be said to be from 30 to 50 

 fish. 



LOCH OICH 



This loch is a very important adjunct to the Garry fishings. 

 At the opening of the season, and more especially in very cold 

 winters and springs, fish which have run the river Oich usually 

 check their upward progress in Loch Oich for some time. It 

 usually happens, therefore, that a good deal of boat fishing 

 is done in the loch in the early part of the season, and, as a 

 matter of fact, the heaviest fish are generally caught in this 

 way. 



A heavy fish was taken by the Duke of Portland in the loch 

 on 23rd March, 1907. The weight was 44 Ib. Seven fish 

 were landed the same day with an average weight of 21 Ib. 

 In 1905 two fish of 40 Ib. were taken in the loch, one in February 

 and the other in March ; these were, I think, the first fish of 

 this weight recorded for the district. 



The loch has also the reputation of harbouring a good many 

 pike. The southern end certainly looks " pikey," but the 

 Invergarry fisherman wages constant war by means of 

 trimmers. This end of the loch is not usually trolled for 

 Balmon, and so far as the northern end of the loch is concerned, 



