THE LAXFORD 



277 



grilse results to any hotel visitors, and quite a variety of trout- 

 ing lochs can also be fished. One might stay for a month and 

 fish a different loch every day, so great is the number of those 

 in Edderachylis district. 



Subjoined are a few notes I have as to catches at Rhiconich : 



1887. 31 salmon, 17 grilse, 549 

 sea -trout. 



1889. In Garbet Beg, 41 salmon 



and grilse (14th June 

 17th Sept.); in Oct., 

 17 salmon. 



1 890. 87 salmon and grilse. No 



salmon were killed till 

 17th July. 



1891. 56 salmon and grilse. 



1892. 55 



1893. 65 First 



grilse on 22nd June ; 

 first salmon on 27th 

 June. 



1 894. A very dry year. Number 



of salmon insignificant. 



1895. 24 salmon and grilse. 



1896. 54 



1900. 36 salmon. 



1901. 40 



1902. 44 



1903. 39 



1904. 48 



1905. 50 



1906. 43 



1907. 50 



1908. 46 



Sea-trout run up to between 5 Ib. and 6 Ib. in weight, but 

 small trout under 1 Ib. are common. Salmon of 6 Ib. are 

 common, and sometimes as many as five may be got in a day. 

 The heaviest fish taken amongst those referred to above was 

 14| Ib. In 1887, the first year mentioned, in addition to 

 migratory fish, 1,076 brown trout were taken in the various 

 lochs. These notes, although they are not of quite recent 

 date, are quite sufficient to show the nature of the sport to be 

 had. A great deal depends on the season's weather. If plenty 

 of rain falls so much the better. If a dry summer occurs, fish 

 cannot easily enter the river. 



THE LAXFORD 



The Laxford which owes its name to the salmon or lax 

 is generally considered the best river in the west of Sutherland. 

 It drains a wide extent of country, as compared with the 

 Inchard, including Loch More and Loch Stack, receives 

 numerous feeders from the high mountains on its northern 

 side, which form the famous Reay Deer Forest, and flows into 



