THE HALLADALE 261 



to protect certain crofting lands. This is a very dull piece of 

 water, and never yields much. 



The river is not very dissimilar to the Naver, but on a smaller 

 scale, and without a head loch, yet it has never had the 

 reputation of the Naver, and has never, perhaps, had a 

 proportional chance, for the netting at Bighouse Bay is pretty 

 hard. Like all the rivers from here west to the Borgie, it 

 enters a beautiful sandy bay. Like the Naver and Thurso, it 

 holds fish quite early in the season in the quiet lower pools, 

 but very few are taken. The impression prevails that the 

 early fish drop back to the sea. This view was always main- 

 tained also in the Thurso when that river was netted, for early 

 in the season fish, which were coloured as if they had been 

 in fresh water some time, used to be taken at the mouth of 

 the river. A great drawback to the Halladale is the rapid 

 diminution of the water-flow. No loch communicates with 

 the river ; the high ground near the source receives considerable 

 rainfall, but the lower river seems to do little to support this, 

 and rapidly gets out of order. A high river is best for the 

 Halladale, and the month of April the most productive time for 

 the lower reaches. 



After June, the best fishing is in the rocky pools of the upper 

 reaches. These can be reached without much difficulty from 

 Forsinard, but, if horse conveyance is alone possible, are 

 scarcely worth the trouble and time of 15 miles, drive from 

 Melvich or Bighouse. 



The river is now the property of Mr. Me Andrew, who also 

 carries on the netting in Bighouse Bay. The year 1907 was a 

 very good one on the Halladale, 64 fish being secured, but the 

 average for five later years is 34. Fly was formerly alone 

 allowed, a lure which is perhaps not very well suited to the 

 upper pools in summer. No one need grumble when fly is 

 alone used in a river where salmon are likely to respond well 

 to the fly. But in a river where few fish are secured by fly, 

 and where another lure might greatly increase the sporting 

 interest without in any way injuring the stock of fish, even 

 a fly purist is inclined to reflect that men who like to work 

 with gudgeons and minnows would probably do little harm 

 to their brethren and greatly increase their own chances of 

 sport. 



