236 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



small feeders from the hills which form the right side of Strath 

 Naver at Dalvina, while the south inflow to Loch-nan-Cuinne, 

 the Halmadarie Burn, rises from a considerable height on the 

 hill called Craig-na-Iolaire, which overlooks the Mallart, an 

 important tributary of the Naver, which enters Strath Naver 

 close to the outflow of Loch Naver. 



These feeders to the Badanloch district have, I think, to be 

 regarded as the head waters of the Helmsdale, although on some 

 maps the name Helmsdale is entered against another branch 

 altogether, viz., that which flows out of Loch-an-Kuathair, a 

 sheet of water close to the Highland Railway line, about 

 midway between Kinbrace and Forsinard. Without doubt, 

 however, the main river Helmsdale is formed by the confluence 

 of the streams from Badanloch and Loch-an-Ruathair at 

 Kinbrace, and it is from this point that the river measures 20 

 miles to the sea. 



The Helmsdale has ever been famous as a spring fishing river, 

 and amongst all the smaller yet first-class salmon streams of 

 Scotland it has more than any other maintained that reputation. 

 The angling proprietors who formerly were tenants in the strath 

 have realised to the full the value of conserving the stock of fish. 

 When bag nets were introduced along the coast in the neighbour- 

 hood they bought out the tacksman, and they shortly after- 

 wards secured the removal of sweep nets at the mouth of the 

 river. In addition to this they decided to adopt the system of 

 impounding the head waters, so as to secure a better flow of 

 water during dry weather. This, perhaps more than anything 

 else, has made the Helmsdale famous during recent years, and, 

 if imitation be the sincerest flattery, the proprietors and tenants 

 of other districts are now becoming ardent flatterers of the 

 Helmsdale. In 1901 a dam dyke was erected at the Badanloch 

 outlet to raise the water-level 6 feet, and form a loch of 6 

 square miles, and a smaller dyke was also constructed at the 

 Loch-an-Ruathair outlet. At each there are sluices and a 

 fish-pass. At first the arrangement was that the supply of 

 water from Loch-an-Ruathair was made use of in spring, and 

 the supply from Badanloch held up till summer, when in former 

 days the river was apt to run so low as to make fishing hopeless. 

 The Badanloch sluices might not be operated till after 1st 

 June, and the decision as to when the stored water should be 



