92 CHATS ON ANGLING. 



fairly well by its being the affluent of Loch Awe. It is not, therefore, 

 so liable to the quick rises and falls of most rivers. The loch is fed 

 by the River Orchy, which flows into its north-eastern end, whilst the 

 Awe, after passing through the Pass of Brander, forms its only outlet. 

 All the Orchy fish, therefore, have to run up the Awe to get to their 

 own waters. These fish run early in the spring, never dwelling for any 

 length of time in the Awe ; and, curiously enough, any tyro could at 

 once differentiate between the salmon of the two rivers, though they 

 have a common outlet to the sea. The Orchy fish are long, lanky, and 

 plain as compared with the short, thick-set beauties of the Awe. I 

 recollect once in Ireland coming across the same difference in fish using 

 the same embouchure. It was in Donegal, where the Crolly and the 

 Clady unite at Dum Drum. In this case also one lot of fish are poor 

 in shape, whilst the others are of totally different calibre. And, moreover, 

 in that case the fish never seem to lose their way. Seldom is a Crolly 

 fish found in the Clady, or vice versa. How accurate are the instincts 

 of nature ! 



The lower reaches of the river Awe are very varied and very 

 beautiful. The river has churned its way through the solid rock. The 

 two Otter Pools, Arroch and the Long Pool, are good examples of 

 the rock-hewn gorges. In the latter, a fine quiet stretch of water, 

 where local knowledge of the lie of fish is valuable, switching or spey 

 casting is necessary if you wish to avoid being constantly hung up 

 in the trees above. The Red Pool, just above the stepping stones, 

 can only be fished from a plank staging fixed high above the water, 

 and should you hook a heavy one at the tail end and he means going 

 down you will be thankful enough when you have safely negotiated the 

 return journey on the high plank and reached the shore. Even then 

 you have plenty of excitement in store before you can hope to see him 

 on the bank. The rocky sides of the chasm do not form a racing track. 

 But get him once safely down to the Stepping Stone Pool and he 

 should be yours. 



This same pool, by the way, is not altogether the place for a 

 beginner, for when the river is in order the aforesaid stepping stones 

 have about two feet or more of fairly heavy water over them ; and as 

 they are well-worn boulders, somewhat inclined to be rounded on the 



