174 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



the sluices into the river again. It was also noticeable that the rate 

 of flow was more gentle half-way down the pass than it was at the 

 intake. Two strong buttresses of concrete gave a narrow and zig- 

 zag entrance to the water, and by the placing of a series of wooden 

 weirs where the rows of stones were, a series of 4' deep pools has 

 been formed in the upper section of the pass. Without these the 

 pass would not have been a success. The practical result has so far 

 been that a valuable new spawning area has been opened up to the 

 fish of Loch Ness, and the accounts which have reached me go to 

 show that a very considerable head of fish have taken advantage of 

 it, and have been spawning in recent winters in the head waters of 

 the glen. As regards angling results, one cannot perhaps speak 

 quite so favourably. The fish which ascend do so only in summer, 

 and many of them having in all probability been sometime in Loch 

 Ness, are not free risers. Still, as the best conditions and lies in 

 the river are gradually discovered, the results may improve. In 

 1907 27 salmon were caught above the fall and 14 below. In 1908, 

 which was a year of small water during the summer months, only 12 

 salmon were caught above the pass, although in the latter part of 

 the season a considerable number of fish were seen. 



THE RIVER OICH. 



The River Oich, which flows from Loch Oich into Loch Ness at 

 Fort Augustus, is about the same length as the River Ness, i.e. fully 

 six miles, and the descent in this distance is also practically the 

 same. In character it is the Ness over again, only with rather less 

 water, exhibiting a fine series of pools and streams, rather rapid in 

 certain places but always interesting. 



The upper part belongs to the Ellice Estate of Glengarry, the 

 lower and larger portion to Lord Lovat. The water is always clear, 

 even when in flood, since the Garry and the lochs above are fed 

 from rocky hill streams. 



The river is said to fish best when fairly high, which means that 

 best success is obtained when the flooded Oich is drawing fish from 

 Loch Ness. It is a spring river, and its success as an angling 

 stream depends upon catching Garry fish in the bye-going. 



In the pools of the lower portion of the river fish rest in their 

 ascent, and, given suitable conditions, results may be quite good ; 

 and, of course, the class of fish is the same as that of the Garry. 

 The upper pools do not appear to hold fish well, however, and here, 



