390 THE BEAULEY, CONAN, &c. 



the river takes a bend, and forms a kind of small lake. 

 Here I have frequently killed, both with fly and parr- 

 tail, trout of great size. In 1835, 1 recollect capturing, 

 along with many others, four trout, weighing severally 

 betwixt three and four pounds. On this occasion, two 

 of these were taken with the common gorge-hook, em- 

 ployed for pike ; the other two I caught with large-sized 

 loch flies. I fished this pool very carefully in August 1844, 

 both with fly and small trout, but succeeded merely in 

 capturing three pike, of about four pounds weight each. 

 A short way below the places referred to are situated 

 the falls of Rogie a fine natural cascade, embosomed 

 among birch-forests. It is only during a large flood, 

 which increases what may be" termed a wing of the fall, 

 that salmon can force their way up. Below this point, 

 the rod-fishing, for upwards of a mile, is of a very supe- 

 rior description, and the appearance of the water and 

 channel at once indicate that it is so. The fishings be- 

 long to the estate of Coul (Sir George Mackenzie, 

 Bart.), but are rented by Horatio Ross, Esq., Craigdar- 

 roch, along with the shootings. Owing to the dark 

 nature of the water, salmon, after ascending into Rasay, 

 soon lose their silvery appearance. Great injury was 

 done to the fishings, both here and in Conan, by the 

 saw-mills under operation in the neighbourhood of the 

 river. From these there was floated down, ever and 

 anon, a large quantity of dust, which completely im- 

 pregnated the stream during summer, occupying the 

 channel for miles ; and, when stirred thence, on the 

 occasion of a flood, fronting and absolutely choking the 

 running fish. I have been told, on good authority, 

 that, as far down as Moy Ferry, below the junction of 

 the Rasay with Conan, the sea-trout captured by means 

 of the drag-net, had often their paunches extended with 



