44 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



February, and when 37 salmon were taken in Loch Vennacher and 

 5 in Loch Achray." In 1906, 3 salmon were taken, I believe, and 

 in the present season (1900) I have heard of only one. 



The Eeport of the Bathymetrical Survey of this loch l states that 

 " The loch is deeper in the eastern than in the western portion, the 

 western end being shallow and covered with weeds, so that one must 

 proceed nearly a mile from the west end of the loch before encoun- 

 tering depths of 50 feet, and this is merely a small patch separated 

 from the principal 50-feet depression by a distance of nearly two- 

 thirds of a mile. In August the water in the loch is at its lowest, 

 and the weeds at the west end most abundant. The principal 50- 

 feet depression is about two miles in length, with a mean breadth 

 of about one-third of a mile, and a maximum breadth of nearly half 

 a mile. It includes two 100-feet depressions ; the first one is very 

 irregular in shape, situated approximately in the centre of the loch, 

 and contains the greatest observed length [? depth] (111 feet), which 

 lies towards the northern shore ; the second one occupies the central 

 portion of the large 50-feet depression, the greatest depth observed 

 therein being 106 feet. Towards the eastern end of the large 50- 

 feet depression is a small shallow patch in the centre of the loch 

 opposite Portnellan, in which a depth of 36 feet was found." 



The Vennacher Water, or Teith, as it may now be called, flows 

 from the loch for a distance of about two miles before it joins with 

 the Leny Water above Callander. The stream is of pleasant charac- 

 ter, but somewhat small for salmon angling. 



The general character of the Teith below Callander is that of a 

 pleasantly running stream with a fairly direct course of about 

 13 miles to the junction with the Forth above Stirling. It is 

 much fringed with trees, and is sometimes rather uniform in its 

 rippling flow, there being rather a lack of holding pools such as 

 might perhaps be artificially induced by the introduction of low 

 weirs or croys. About two and three-quarter miles below Callander, 

 the Kelty enters from the north. It is, except in its lowest part, 

 a rather brawling stream, and 3 miles up its course is completely 

 barred to salmon by the picturesque falls of Bracklinn, which form 

 the objective of many summer excursions from Callander. Any 

 opening up of these falls is a hopeless task, not only on account of 

 their precipitous nature, but on account of the steep character of 

 the stream further up. 



There is one weir on the Teith at Deanston, near Doune. This 



1 Scottish Geographical Magazine, xvi., No. 4, p. 207. 



