SEA-TROUT FISHING 



Helmsdale was to retain its reputation as an angling river. The tenants 

 began by buying up the lease of the bag nets and of the net and coble, so 

 that not a net was worked after the close of the season 1899. This told 

 immediately upon the rod fishing, which accounted for 837 salmon and 

 grilse in 1900 against 307 in 1899; but the summer fishing was still of no 

 account owing to want of water, and it was decided to attempt to improve 

 it by impounding the head waters of the river by damming up the lochs 

 near its source and regulating the summer flow so as to admit free pas- 

 sage for fish throughout the season. 



Accordingly in 1901 a dam dyke was completed at the outlet of Badan- 

 loch raising the water-level by six feet. This inundated a good deal of 

 worthless land and increased the area of the loch to six square miles. 

 To prevent the stored water being prematurely wasted in creating tem- 

 porary spates for the convenience of individuals, it was agreed that the 

 Badanloch sluices should never be raised before June 1 in any year; 

 but for the creation of such temporary spates as might be desired to relieve 

 drought in the spring months, another dam was thrown across the outlet 

 of Loch-an-Ruathair. The cost of the whole of the work was considerably 

 less than £2,000, and the result has been to double the amount of angling; 

 for, whereas there used to be practically no fishing between the middle 

 or end of May and the autumn floods, the river now runs in fishing trim 

 throughout the summer. Further, the lower half of the river, between 

 Kildonan and the sea, used to cease to be worth attention after the 

 spring fishing was over; it was only in the upper half of the river, 

 from Kildonan up to Badanloch, that any sport could be expected late 

 in the season.* Consequently, instead of 307 salmon taken by anglers 

 in 1899, the annual average number from 1903 to 1907 was 1,217, since 

 which the total bag for the season has sometimes exceeded 2,000 fish 

 taken with the fly, all bait -fishing being strictly prohibited by the rules of 

 the association. 



Of course it is difficult to distinguish between the direct effect of taking 

 off the nets and securing an ample and continuous flow of water. Both 

 were causes contributing to regenerate the fishing. But it is clear that, 

 no matter how large was the stock of fish near the river mouth in summer, 

 they were of no use to anglers during the normal drought and low water 

 between May and autumn. It is the storage of water and regulation of the 



*Tbe open season for rod-fishin£ on the Helmsdale ends on October 1, but by a self-denying ordinance angling 

 ceases on September IS. 



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