332 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



" As the surface of the loch is only 30 feet above sea-level, 

 almost the entire bed of the loch is below the level of the sea. 

 ... In the sea to the west of Loch Morar there is no depth 

 approaching 1,000 feet, with the exception of a deep spot 834 

 feet (139 fathoms) between the islands of Rum and Skye, so 

 that to get a depth of 1,000 feet one must go west of St. Kilda 

 and Ireland, beyond the 100 fathom line in the Atlantic 

 Ocean." 



The fall at the outlet precludes the ascent of any early fish, 

 and frequently causes salmon and sea-trout to congregate in 

 great numbers. On this account, i.e. the stopping of early 

 fish, Loch Morar is of little use as a salmon fishing loch. An 

 occasional fish is taken, however, in summer, or autumn. 



Loch Beoraid, on the south, drains into the loch by the 

 Meoble river, but is rendered inaccessible to salmon by reason 

 of a fall a short distance from the outlet. The Meoble and 

 the two small streams at the head of the loch are the chief 

 spawning places, and are limited enough for the size of the 

 district, but proposals are now made to open up the Beoraid 

 Fall. 



THE SHIEL (LOCH SHIEL) DISTRICT 



ANGLING SEASON: llth February to 30th October. 

 NETTING SEASON: llth February to 26th October. 



No District Fishery Board. The river Shiel is fished by Lord Howard of Glossop, 

 who owns the north bank, and by Kenneth Clark, Esq., of Ardnamurchan, who owna 

 the south bank. Loch Shiel is open to the public. 



This, like the Morar, is a large district with a short river. 

 In each case a large loch, not of first-class importance for 

 salmon fishing, but of great grandeur, occupies the bulk of 

 the area. Loch Moidart, the sea loch into which the Shiel and 

 Moidart rivers flow, forms the estuary for both rivers. The 

 line is drawn from Farquhar Point on the south shore to the 

 south-west point of Eilean Shona, and from the north-west 

 point of Eilean Shona to the nearest point of mainland on the 

 north. Bag nets used to be fished on the outer coast of JSilean 

 Shona, but the proprietors have arranged that they be taken 

 off, and now no netting of any kind exists near the mouth of 

 the rivers. 



