172 SALMON FISHING 



Indeed, 1904 was the worst on record. It yielded 

 only 205 salmon and 58 grilse, with a few sea-trout, 

 for the whole river. There is a proposal, promoted 

 by Lord Dalhousie, to remove the nets, of which, 

 it is hoped, we shall have seen the last before these 

 words are published. That, with reform of the 

 passes, will improve the river greatly." 



The DUKE OF ARGYLL'S rights in his best river, it 

 will have been noticed, are held under a charter of 

 The Bruce. At first I thought that the Duke must 

 have mentioned this merely because the title deed 

 was interesting on account of its antiquity. Soon 

 afterwards there was cause to think that the remark 

 might have another significance. The incidental 



suggestion came with a letter from Colonel , 



whose residence and sport are not a far cry from 

 Loch Awe. The entertaining document runs thus : 



" If No. 1 makes No. 2 pay a rent to himself, for 

 No. 3's property, is it right ? Here is an example : 



I was fishing in the on Mr. C 's property, 



of which I had the lease. A man comes up 

 and orders me off the water, as rented from Lord 



A to the Hotel. Mr. C then applied 



to the Crown for a rent of this bit of his own river, 

 subject to any prior claim. He got the rent. Lord 



A was discomfited. He had no charter. There 



are many others doing the same as he did, After- 

 wards I leased the water at a rent of 20 a year 



for five years, and Lord M let the other side. 



I should be much surprised to hear that either 

 of the proprietors has a charter. If my own 



