362 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



view. There is, of course, no impossibility in pike coming 

 down the river Orchy from Loch Tulla to Loch Awe, but pike 

 seem to have been in Loch Awe before they were in Loch Tulla. 

 Possibly the dangerous person who advised the Marquis had 

 already been acting on his own initiative in the neighbourhood. 

 His name is unknown, but his works do follow him. The 

 Second Statistical Account, which was written by a Rev. Duncan 

 Maclean in 1843, i.e. five years before the introduction of pike 

 to Loch Tulla, contains the following passage : " Various kinds 

 of trout abound in all our lakes, especially in Loch Awe, viz. 

 salmon, eels, char, now rather scarce fish, perch, and pike ; the 

 pike is only of recent importation, and it is greatly feared that 

 the character of the lakes will suffer from the ravages of this 

 active and voracious fish." The term " recent importation " 

 may mean several years, as apparently the all- too- well- known 

 effect was already showing. It seems to me probable, therefore, 

 that pike were in Loch Awe eight or ten years before they were 

 in Loch Tulla. The use of the word " trout " as including 

 salmon, eels, char, and pike, etc., is unusual. It clearly means 

 " fish," just as sailor-men, when speaking of foreign craft, be 

 they French, Italian, or what you will, class them all under the 

 name of " Dutchman." 



There is a fishing story related in the Life of Christopher 

 North connected with Loch Tulla which is worth recalling. 1 

 The celebrated Professor of Philosophy was staying at the 

 school- house at the foot of Glen Orchy, for the neighbourhood 

 was a favourite resort of his. He started very early one 

 morning to tramp to Loch Tulla to fish, 13 miles distant. On 

 reaching it he discovered that he had left the top of his rod 

 behind. " Nothing daunted, he walked back, breakfasted, 

 got his fishing rod, made all complete, and off again to Loch 

 Toila. He could not resist fishing on the river when a pool 

 looked invitingly, but he went always onwards, reaching the 

 loch a second time, fished round it, and found that the long 

 summer day had come to an end. He set off for his home 

 again with his fishing basket full, and confessing somewhat to 

 weariness. Passing near a farmhouse whose inmates he knew 

 (for he had formed acquaintance with all), he went to get some 



1 Christopher North, a Memoir of John Wilson, by his Daughter, 

 Mrs. Gordon. Ed. 1879, p. 137. 



