408 RIVERS OF THE NORTH AND NORTH-WEST COAST. 



The GRUINYARD river, and that which enters at the 

 head of Loch Broom, as well as a small stream on 

 Loch Torridon, teem occasionally with grilses and sea- 

 trout, but they are, like many of the west coast rivers, 

 difficult of access, and the rod-fishing during Summer 

 is uncertain. 



On the river CARRON, which discharges itself into a 

 salt-water loch of the same name, not far from Jean- 

 town, I recollect having a week's excellent sport among 

 sea-trout, running from half-a pound to three pounds in 

 weight. This happened about the end of July 1835. 

 On one occasion, betwixt nine a.m. and three p.m., I 

 captured upwards of forty of these fish, and a grilse or 

 or two. The water was clear and small, and the scene 

 of action, which lay almost at the mouth of the river, 

 included only two or three streams. At one draught 

 of the long net, below the cruive-dyke at New Kelso, 

 I saw taken upwards of two hundred salmon and grilses, 

 along with an immense number of sea-trout. A sin- 

 gular feat was achieved on this occasion, by one of the 

 fishermen employed. In enclosing the fish, which was 

 managed by a person wading round the pool with one 

 end of the net in his hand, while the other extremity 

 remained held by two or three individuals on the bank, 

 the man wading descried a grilse of about eight pounds 

 in weight, which, from the position it occupied, was 

 likely to escape being captured ; diving down, he seized 

 hold of it by the tail with his disengaged hand, and 

 flinging it ashore, continued his circuit amid the cheers 

 of his comrades. 



The Island of Lewis possesses several rivers where 

 salmon are found. Of these the best is the Laxay, but 

 the Creed, Tong, and Gress also produce this fish. The 

 trout belonging to its numerous lochs are not remark- 



