THE LYON 81 



EIVER LYON. 



This river rises from Loch Lyon and the streams above, which 

 have their source on the divide to the east of the Orchy, and flows a 

 distance of 30 miles to the Tay, about 2 miles below the Loch Tay 

 outlet, where it forms the northern boundary of the Taymouth 

 Castle grounds. The Lyon has the distinction amongst Tay tribu- 

 taries of holding spring fish at as early a date as Loch Tay. Some 

 most attractive water exists in the Lyon, and some of it, moreover, 

 is open to the public who stay at Fortingal Hotel or the Breadalbane 

 Hotel at Kenmore. The best spring fishing is in the 6 miles of 

 water nearest the mouth of the river. Above this, the river descends 

 through a steep defile where one or two cascades occur, and early 

 fish do not pass these for some little time. 



The central section of the river, below the Bridge of Balgie, and 

 especially in the neighbourhood of Slatich, is flat and sluggish, being 

 in all probability the site of a prehistoric loch, the waters of which 

 were released when the defile above Fortingal was pierced by ice at 

 the yielding of the glacial period. Some trout of large size are said 

 to be found in this sluggish section, and indeed the whole river has 

 a good reputation for trouting. The scenery below this point is 

 specially fine and perhaps equal to anything in Perthshire, which is 

 saying a good deal when it is recollected that the Trossachs are in 

 the same county. 



From Loch Lyon downwards for 12 miles or so, the fishing rights 

 go with the Meggernie estate, and from May onwards this is under- 

 stood to be a very fine fishing. Any one who has seen the ascent of 

 fish at the Gallan Falls, or Falls of Meggernie, has at anyrate been 

 able to realise the great number of fish which the river holds. These 

 falls are extraordinary, in that the river is divided into many courses 

 owing to the high angle at which the rocks are pitched and the 

 manner in which they fracture. Fish cannot get up during low 

 levels of water, and indeed a more than moderate rise is necessary 

 before they go up in numbers. At such times they pop here and 

 pop there at all sorts of different places, each, as it were, finding the 

 best way for itself ; no great number of them impelled to follow one 

 line by the natural conditions of water-flow, yet each having to 

 make quite a series of ascents by means of leaping. When a really 

 high flood is on, the falls must be turned into a long sloping cataract. 

 The falls are 3 miles above Balgie Bridge, and a mile above Meg- 

 gernie Castle. The water between these two points may be styled 



