THE GARRY 177 



There are other places where one may catch just as many fish, but 

 there are circumstances in the case of the Garry which make it 

 peculiarly attractive. True it is not all river fishing ; a proportion 

 of the fish are taken by the less interesting method of trolling in 

 Loch Oich. But again, Loch Oich is a specially beautiful place to 

 troll. In the Helmsdale I have no hesitation in saying there are 

 more spring fish, but the average weight is just about half the 

 average weight of the Garry fish. In the Dee the fish are the same 

 class as the Helmsdale fish small springers which have passed 

 through their grilse stage in the sea and are entering fresh water for 

 their first ascent. In the Tay the fish are rather larger, but they 

 are not easily to be got on the fly in as good numbers. For the 

 rest the Garry presents most inviting pools, which can be fished 

 from the bank ; is an exclusive fishing for a couple of rods ; is a 

 tumbling river of beautiful water in a mountainous and richly 

 wooded glen; and holds fish which have, so to speak, run their 

 distance, and are not going to pass further on till the spring fishing 

 is over. In its short run of four miles the Garry descends 151 feet, 

 so that the gradient is more than three times that of either the 

 Oich or the Ness. 



This lower Garry is a free-rising river. Very few of the pools 

 are of any depth ; the water is lively, and takes out the fisherman's 

 line and fly most pleasantly ; the fish lie where the appearance of 

 the water lets one know they are likely to be ; there is no dull 

 moment in one's fishing ; it is quite clear " he " may come at any 

 moment. Of all pools in the river, and, counting small casts, there 

 are about twenty, the Little Crooked has the reputation of being 

 the surest for fish. " If there's a single fish in Little Crooked he'll 

 rise to you at once," was the remark made to me by one who knows 

 the river intimately. It is the highest pool in the river with the 

 exception of two casts, one at the falls, where the river descends 

 from Loch Garry, and the other a short distance below called the 

 Otter's Hole, both of which can only be fished when the water is 

 low. 



The Big Crooked, where the river takes a sharp turn to the left, 

 is also in high favour, as are the Dog Pool, the Englishman, the two 

 Mill Pools, the Carry, the House (so named from Invergarry House, 

 which is close by), and the Eiver Mouth. The photographs show the 

 Big and Little Crooked from the bend below the former, with the fall 

 in the distance, and a stretch lower down including the Dog Pool. 



Catches of 36 and 24 fish have been made at different times in 



M 



