222 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



as the lowest section of the Oykell. This tidal section seems to 

 form a sort of haven of refuge for fish which, having passed the 

 nets and ascended into fresh water, find themselves, when 

 rivers are low, unable to ascend the various falls which in one 

 river or other have already been referred to . The river watchers 

 inform me that on July evenings great numbers sometimes 

 show themselves below Inveroykell Lodge, which marks the 

 top of tide reach, or the point to which fresh water is dammed 

 back by the action of the tide. 



Above this point the Oykell presents for 5 miles a beautiful 

 succession of long pools with gravel banks. The river winds a 

 good deal, and is never very rapid, but is always inviting. 

 Just before the sharp turn to the north, where at Oykell Bridge 

 the first rocky section begins, the river Einig enters from the 

 south. The lowest section of the Einig is let to Oykell Bridge 

 Hotel, and is often quite worth fishing. The river carves its 

 way through a deep rocky defile, with birch-clad slopes much 

 admired by the late William Black, who used to rent the 

 neighbouring Langwell Lodge, and who describes it char- 

 acteristically in one of his novels. About 3| miles up the 

 Einig the inevitable fall occurs. It is a beautiful fall when 

 there is an extra drop of water in the river. The height is 

 about 14 or 15 feet, but a break occurs towards the left bank, 

 causing the greatest flow to keep this side. Breaking against a 

 projecting barrier the water is thrown across towards the centre 

 of the stream. This, when the river is at a fairly low level and 

 when practically no water descends the abrupt section of the 

 fall, is passable to fish. It would not be difficult to greatly 

 increase the ease of this ascent by further lowering the cross 

 current and carrying a cut round the rocks of the left bank, 

 where the fall breaks, to a quiet little rest just above. In 

 July great numbers of fish are to be seen below this fall. 



From the junction of the Einig, the Oykell has a distance of 

 9 miles till Loch Ailsh is reached, yet Loch Ailsh is barely 

 500 feet above sea-level. With Oykell Bridge 125 feet and 90 

 feet of a rise in the comparatively short rocky section where the 

 river passes over its barrier, the ascent to the loch is seen to be 

 fairly gradual. The main fall, a short distance above Oykell 

 Bridge, is singularly like the upper section of the lower Cassley 

 falls. The height does not exceed 12 feet, and the fall is broken 



