366 RIVERS OF ANGUS AND ABERDEENSHIRE. 



Ballater are several other lakes, one of which, the Dim 

 loch, or black lake, although small in extent, deserves 

 notice on account of the terrific grandeur of its situation. 

 There are also connected with the Dee, by the burn of 

 Dinnet, near Aboyne, the lochs of Cannord and Dawan, 

 both of which contain trout. Here, also, the Tanner 

 and Feugh waters discharge themselves into the main 

 stream. Near where the latter joins, but on the oppo- 

 site side of the river, is the Leys Loch, containing pike, 

 and frequented at certain seasons by great numbers of 

 water-fowl. The Culter-burn is the only other stream 

 worthy of the name, which enters the Dee above Aber- 

 deen. 



The Dee, during its course, has been estimated to 

 drain nine hundred square miles of country. Its waters 

 rival in purity the most limpid of our Scottish rivers, 

 the Aven in Strathspey alone excepted. Like those of 

 many of our salmon-streams, its fishings are said to have 

 declined greatly in value. About two hundred men are 

 employed at Aberdeen in salmon-fishing. The quan- 

 tity of fish caught, in an average season, has been esti- 

 mated at twenty thousand salmon and forty thousand 

 grilses. This number includes those taken by stake- 

 nets, and at the mouth of the river, on the adjacent 

 beach. A variety of the solar, termed canavegs, from 

 the smallness of the head, is said to ascend the Dee 

 considerably later than the generality of other salmon. 

 These, judging from the description I have heard of 

 them, are evidently nothing more than the spring or 

 clean fish of the river, which possess this peculiarity to 

 a conspicuous degree wherever found. The best stations 

 for the angler are Kincardine O'Niel, the Huntly Arms 

 at Aboyne, Ballater and Castleton of Braemar. The 

 salmon-flies in use on the Dee are close in the hackle, 



