200 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



greatly lessened, and fish would reach the flat valley tract 

 above the gorge at an earlier date. It is this flat valley tract 

 which seems to me to offer much greater possibilities of good 

 angling than can be expected under existing conditions. Many 

 of the pools are very fine, and some could be greatly improved 

 by a little croy building, others are too dull and sandy for early 

 fish to lie in. A better fishing here would be of great value. 

 But I do not imagine the rocky barriers could be sufficiently 

 reduced to materially rob the lower waters of the fishing which 

 exists at present. I set down these thoughts purely by way 

 of suggestion, and because of the fascination which belongs to 

 the development of natural resources. I venture to think 

 also that much good might result from the systematic killing 

 down of pike and eels. Eel fishing might, indeed, serve 

 a double purpose, for eels are of good market value in England, 

 though their capture is a neglected industry in Scotland. 



In descending order, reference may now be made to the 

 Cruive Dyke just above Beaufort Castle, the residence of Lord 

 Lovat. The Beauly Cruive Dyke is the largest structure of 

 its kind in Scotland, and if the boxes were fished, the stock of 

 fish in the river would run a very poor chance indeed. For 

 many years, however, the boxes have not been fished, although 

 the dyke is kept up and certain of the boxes closed by means 

 of hecks. 



Taking advantage of an island which here exists, the builders 

 of the cruive dyke as was very commonly the case in early 

 days founded the apex of a downstream V-shaped wall upon 

 it. The structure is very substantial, and at ordinary levels 

 of the river stands for the most part a foot or two higher than 

 the level of the pool above. The height above the bed of the 

 river must be from 6 to 7 feet, the whole forming a broad 

 causeway which, when the river is not high, was a convenient 

 means of crossing from bank to bank, before the private bridge 

 further down was reconstructed. There are seven boxes, four 

 in one arm of the V, and three in the other. Fish congregate 

 in great numbers below the cruive, and the fine running pool 

 immediately below and on the Castle side of the island is 

 certainly one of the best in the river. Some great days have 

 been experienced here when the grilse were running ; but of 

 this later. 



