138 SALMON FISHING 



the sport has slightly declined. Removal of bag 

 nets from the estuary and an extra slap of twenty- 

 four hours a week from July 1 are doing good. 

 Loch Stack sea-trout are plentiful and large. Fully 

 a thousand, many of them over 5 Ibs., are caught 

 yearly. Along with Reay Forest, the loch and the 

 river are let to the Duke of Westminster. 



The INVER, flowing to the west out of Loch 

 Assynt, is a late stream. It is of little value before 

 June. In July and August, when there is plenty of 

 water, sport is brisk. Salmon and grilse are to be 

 caught in the loch. 



The KIRKAIG, flowing west, is, two miles and a 

 half from the sea, blocked to salmon by falls 50 

 feet high. Below the falls there are pools on which 

 good sport is found from July until the end of the 

 season. 



The THURSO, in Caithness, is an exceptional case, 

 which will be stated and discussed in Chapter xi. 



The ORCHY, flowing out of Loch Tulla, in Argyll- 

 shire, and into Loch Awe, has a bright future. 

 Hitherto it has been a spring river below the Falls 

 of Orchy and an autumn river above. Soon, it is 

 expected, salmon will be abundant in both seasons 

 all over. Lord Breadalbane is familiar with the 

 Blackmount water, in which, he says, there are only 

 four pools of any note. He goes on : 



" The river is a very good one at present when 

 you get it in order ; but the cream of the fishing is 

 the Craig water, that is, the portion which is below 

 the falls, where very good sport is obtained. This 



