THE POLLY 287 



but in general character it is quite different, being in its lower 

 part a still, sluggish stream, which can only be properly fished 

 when there is a breeze. It rises from two sources the more 

 southerly from a loch 222 feet up, and rather more than three 

 miles from the sea ; the other from quite a series of lochs (all 

 closed to salmon), the last of which is Loch Shinaskaig, long 

 famous for its trout. 



A little loch just below Shinaskaig, called Loch-an-Dalach, 

 used at one time to be also closed to salmon. In 1878, how- 

 ever, on the advice of Mr. Archibald Young, then Inspector of 

 Salmon Fisheries, this lower barrier was circumvented by 

 deepening a side channel, and so securing a sufficient gradient 

 for fish to ascend. Mr. Young says in a report that, as a result, 

 the fish promptly went up to the loch above ; but unfortunately 

 the fall above this and below Loch Shinaskaig is a barrier of 25 

 feet or so. Since then, however, a further attempt at opening 

 up has been made with some success. 



The Polly, therefore, has only about the same length as the 

 Kirkaig. Grilse sometimes run in very fair numbers, and in 

 other years are scarcely to be found. From the return with 

 which I have been favoured, the variation is from to 42. 

 The number of salmon is never large, but is much more steady 

 than is the grilse record. Ten, twelve, or fourteen in the 

 season represents what may be expected. The fish do not 

 usually run large, and a wet summer is all in favour of the 

 angler. The fishing goes with Inverpolly Lodge. 



Sea-trout are much more numerous than salmon and grilse. 

 Some annual totals are 92, 122, 47, 188, 101, 163, 123, 56, 129, 

 and 114, the last being for 1908. 



Loch Shinaskaig has been sluiced at its outlet so as to 

 impound water ; a most valuable provision when dealing with 

 small streams. Colonel Blunt, in a letter written at the end 

 of season 1906, says, touching the effect of this operation : 

 " We had a lot of fish up the river thanks to artificial spates 

 in spite of a dry season at the time fish were on the coast." 

 Writing as to the previous season, Colonel Blunt said : "The 

 Little Polly, with its sluice on Loch Shinaskaig, was the only 

 place any could come up. The fish remained about five weeks 

 splashing about in shoals then went south." 



Other operations, in the way of improving the fishing, have 



