THE ETIVE 367 



till April, although a few are usually captured in March. Up 

 to the present, I believe, the earliest date is 3rd March, and 

 this was regarded as exceptionally early. In 1908 the first 

 fish was taken on 10th April. Fish pass through the Awe in 

 March, and, when the nets were regularly at work at the mouth 

 of that river, salmon were then taken in some numbers. The 

 spring fish of this district are usually of the big class, and in 

 the pool below the lower fall in the Orchy one may see, at times, 

 a fair number weighing apparently between 20 Ib. and 26 Ib. 

 On one occasion I counted 21 fish swimming slowly about the 

 pool below the iron footbridge. Fishing generally begins with 

 April, and is best in the lower Orchy about the middle of that 

 month. Kelts are very seldom seen, being presumably already 

 out of the river. The average weight of Orchy fish is about 

 14 Ib. Lord Breadalbane institutes an earlier closing date 

 than is required by statute, all rods having to cease fishing by 

 10th October. 



The Inveroran Hotel water comes into ply about the middle 

 of June, when the fish are ascending the falls, and continues to 

 the end of the season. An occasional salmon is taken in Loch 

 Tulla, but as a rule the trout are fished for in the loch and the 

 salmon in the river. 



Before leaving the Orchy it may be as well to mention that, 

 in existing conditions, the Strae, which joints it at its mouth, 

 is of practically no use as a salmon angling river, although a few 

 spawning fish late comers enter it. 



RIVER ETIVE 



This river rises from the Lochan-Mathair-Etive in the Moor 

 of Rannoch, and from a number of small converging burns 

 east of Kingshouse, and some 970 feet above sea-level, and has 

 a course of about 15 miles to the head of Loch Etive. 

 Unfortunately only barely 6 miles of the river are open to the 

 ascent of salmon, for at Dalness a fall occurs which effectually 

 stops further progress. 



In general character the Etive is not unlike the Orchy, but 

 on a rather smaller scale. There are stretches of streamy water 

 with gravel banks, and at intervals rocky and very deep pools, 



