THE TAY 65 



are met by the abrupt beam on top of the sill and immediately fall 

 back and are carried to the foot of the weir again. When the water 

 is suitable, however, large numbers of fish ascend, and after spawning 

 the kelts accumulate in the deep pool above Low's Dyke, and until 

 recently were very apt to be drawn into the Perth Lade. Now, 

 after a good deal of negotiation, a heck has been placed here, but it 

 can be raised, and not infrequently, even when the leaves are not 

 coming down so as to choke the bars, I have found it raised. The 

 water from the Almond which is carried down Perth Lade is lost 

 to this tributary, since the mouth of the lade enters the Tay at 

 Perth. 



Continuing upstream in the Tay above Almondmouth we have 

 the Scone Water on the right hand, and Lower Eedgorton, Luncarty, 

 Upper Eedgorton, Benchill, Stanley (where the first of the two weirs 

 of the main river occurs, a not very serious obstacle), and Burn- 

 mouth, on the left hand before The Linn of Campsie is reached. As 

 in other cases, the particular fishings will not be catalogued, but will 

 be found indicated on the maps which accompany the chapter. 

 Both the Eedgorton beats go with Battleby House, and are some- 

 times described as the Battleby Water. The water below the Linn 

 is very good in spring, as well as from the time the grilse appear 

 onwards. It is, of course, big water, and is for the most part harled. 

 The famous Black Crag Pool of the Upper Eedgorton beat offers 

 good casting from either bank. The Stormontfield Eearing Ponds 

 are just below on the left bank, receiving water from the Stormont- 

 field Lade. 



Above the Linn, including water for several miles, is generally 

 considered the very best of the Tay for angling. 



Stobhall on the left bank has about six miles of water. It 

 belongs to Lord Ancaster, but is let to Mr. Malloch, who sublets rods 

 upon it. Opposite Stobhall is Tay mount and Ballathie. Tay mount 

 House overlooks the Linn of Campsie from the right bank. The 

 gliding plunge of the water over the Linn is fascinating to watch, 

 for the surface, when at all high, is unbroken in the central flow till 

 it meets the lower level of the pool below. If one is near this 

 flow in a boat or on the rocks of the left bank, the sense of force 

 given by the mass of water is tremendous. Yet during an excep- 

 tionally dry summer, Peter Thomas, the manager of the fisheries 

 here, once managed to row a coble up the Linn. The pool below is 

 not very deep, but is wide and smooth till a reef of rock, utilised for 

 netting, breaks it about two-thirds of the way across. I know of 



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