224 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



surprised that so many fish appear to manage the ascent. 

 Compared, for instance, to the celebrated Falls of Tummel, 

 which are difficult enough for the class of large fish which 

 attempt them, these lower Cassley Falls are much higher, but 

 thanks to the less concentrated body of water and to the fact 

 that a good large pool exists between the two sections of the 

 fall, the smaller and athletic Cassley fish do manage to surmount 

 the obstacles in considerable numbers. Of course, no spring 

 fish do so till quite the end of May or middle of June, and I 

 should say that all gravid fish which run the Cassley at the end 

 of the season are entirely debarred. For the most part the 

 spawning stock of fish are bound to be summer fish. Like other 

 purely hill-fed streams, the Cassley is subject to great fluctua- 

 tions of level, and fish have therefore to be at the foot of the 

 falls at the most suitable level for making the ascent, after the 

 water temperature has reached that point which induces our 

 Scottish salmon to leap ; for although Norwegian fish will leap 

 in snow-fed water (and they must do so or forego ascent) our 

 fish will not. 



The total height of those lower falls may be estimated as 

 about 30 feet, the upper section being 10-11 feet and more 

 abrupt than the lower section, which is a mass of cascades of 

 varying heights, so that fish have a choice of courses, and do as 

 a matter of fact use the small side channels and cross runs to a 

 considerable extent. 



It is not at all likely that with the best of passes which fish 

 can swim at a gradient of, say, 1 in 20, the upper river will 

 yield early spring fishing. The earliest arrivals would still 

 remain below for some time. But a great number of fish, 

 including the late heavy spawners, which at present cannot 

 make the ascent, would be able to do so. At present about 20 

 fish are taken on the rod below the falls in May, about another 

 20 in April, and a less number earlier in the year. Ninety to 

 about 120 is the annual yield of the river, but I understand 

 that it is by no means steadily fished. Lord Grey of Fallodon 

 had in 1911 an average of 5 fish a day, for a couple of weeks, 

 I understand. 



It would be out of place to indicate in any detail how a pass 

 on each section of this fall might be arranged, but I believe 

 with some attention to this matter the yield of the Cassley could 



