THE BEAULY DISTRICT 203 



was a notoriously bad year in almost all other districts in 

 Scotland. The inference is that the reduction of nets is now 

 beginning to tell by the improvement of the natural stock of 

 fish in the district. The dictum which my old friend Dr. 

 Almond, of Loretto, used to lay down is generally correct : 

 " If you want to catch more fish you must fish less." The 

 heaviest salmon of 1908 was a fish of 19 lb., caught by Hon. 

 Elspeth Campbell ; the heaviest sea-trout, a fish of 5 lb., 

 caught by Mr. C. W. Ogden. 



The nets in the lower water in the old days used to make 

 great scores, and the natural productiveness of the river must 

 be very great. A return was supplied to Lord Elgin's Com- 

 mission by Mr. Garrioch, Lord Lovat's factor, from which I 

 have drawn the following sexennial periods, putting salmon 

 and grilse together : 



1827-1832 (inclusive) .... 9,831 



1833-1838 11,374 



1875-1880 5,071 



1881-1886 ...... 5,972 



1887-1892 3,654 



After 1862 daily netting ceased. 



In connection with the capture of great numbers, it is inter- 

 esting to notice what Richard Franck, writing in 1658, has to 

 say of the Beauly. 1 He describes it as " replenished with 

 salmon ; whose numbers are numberless, if not improper to 

 say so ; and careless of their lives, they cast them away. 



" I must confess, the strength of such strange reports, often- 

 times meets with a foreign faith, that raises more scruples than 

 arguments can answer. And so it hapned to me at first, till 

 convinced by some persons of considerable reputation, that when 

 fishermen with their sanes have drawn these streams, they have 

 counted many times five hundred at a draught ; the truth 

 of which relation, should any man doubt of, they are ready to 

 assert and vindicate the truth on't by pregnant demonstration. 

 However it shaked my credulity at first, though possibly it 

 may remove the jealousy of another, if when provided with 

 patience he can suspend his suspicion till better inform' d, or 

 confirm himself of the plenty of salmon in these remote northern 

 parts. For I grant, others with myself of a like perswasion 

 1 Northern Memoirs, Edition 1821, p. 203. 



