368 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



which have a tendency to form into long rocky channels. The 

 river is, however, subject to violent changes of level, for the 

 rainfall is not light and the surrounding country is extremely 

 steep. The floods move the gravel banks to a great extent, 

 and the last mile and a half of the. river is cut, with a winding 

 course, through masses of alluvium carried down from the 

 hills and poured out at the head of the loch. Mr. Nelson, of 

 Glen Etive, informs me that he has seen the river rise 12 feet, 

 in one of the rocky channels, in the course of a day. 



After each flood the river is in good ply for salmon for about 

 one day, but successful sea-trout fishing is carried on for some 

 time. Salmon commence to run in May, and some heavy fish 

 are reported to ascend pretty early in the season, and to remain 

 in the deep rocky pools up the river. Sea-trout are found in 

 great numbers in the lower reaches. 



The head of the sea loch near the mouth of the river used to 

 be a most profitable netting station, for in summer when the 

 river has fallen low there is not much inducement for fish to 

 run. All the upper loch shore was also netted at suitable 

 places. At the end of 1907, however, all the nets in the upper 

 loch were entirely removed by purchase by the conjoint action 

 of Mr. Nelson and Lord Breadalbane, and now, as in the case 

 of the Awe, a much larger stock of fish may be expected in 

 fresh waters. The average take by rods at the present time 

 is about 15 to 18 salmon and fully 400 sea-trout, but the pro- 

 spects seem good for a considerable addition to this bag. 



The whole available river on the right bank, except the 

 Dalness Fall Pool, goes with the Glen Etive. Dalness fishes 

 below the fall on both banks and the upper river on the left 

 bank, then Lord Breadalbane comes in also on the left bank, 

 and Glen Etive has in two sections about 2-| miles of the left 

 bank on the lower water. 



In addition to the removal of nets already referred to a good 

 deal has been done by Mr. Nelson to give greater facilities 

 than naturally exist for the spawning of salmon and rearing of 

 fry. A loch has been formed about 4 miles up the glen, with a 

 water-course into the Etive, having a gradient of 1 in 28. 

 Numerous steep burns descend from the hills all along the 

 glen, and three of those have been diverted for the service of 

 the loch. The last burn brought in is carried by an artificial 



