202 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



water looks black, it is barely applicable till the outlet of Loch 

 Garve is reached and the overhanging woods entered. 



Ford is 760 feet above sea-level, the mouth of Strath Vaich 

 about 690, Strath Rannoch 559, and before the woods of Little 

 Garve are entered the elevation is barely 350. 



Loch Garve, the remnant of a once much larger lake, is 218 feet 

 above sea-level, is fully 1J miles in length, with a maximum 

 breadth of half a mile. The loch drains an area of 114 square miles, 

 and is a simple basin with a maximum depth of 105 feet. Through 

 the defile where the Falls of Rogie delight so many visitors, a run 

 down of more than a hundred feet is soon accomplished. 



One is loth to suggest the spoiling or reducing of such beautiful 

 falls as those of Rogie in order that salmon and salmon fishers may 

 be benefited, but the upper waters of the Blackwater, as may be 

 seen by any one who drives along the road already referred to, are 

 of a splendid character in many parts and deserve more fish. The 

 falls at the present time are only a partial barrier to ascending fish. 

 They are considerably cleft in part, but the leap, though not too 

 high, is rendered very difficult by a cross force of descending water. 

 As a matter of fact a considerable number of fish do get up. 

 To increase the facilities for ascent would not be very difficult, and 

 would be of immense benefit to the whole district, for the total 

 water-way above the falls, including the three head streams, is 

 about 30 miles, and there is much fine spawning ground. The fear 

 of injuring the angling below the falls need not be seriously enter- 

 tained. Fish which lie below a fall are never good risers, and are 

 much more usefully employed ascending the waters above. 



The chief angling in the Blackwater is, of course, below the 

 falls, the right of fishing belonging to the Coul Estate, and the 

 extent of water about four miles. Some of this water will, I antici- 

 pate, form excellent spring fishing if the alterations as to netting 

 proposed for the lower Conon and already referred to are carried 

 out. In the past, four days a week have been commonly let to a 

 neighbouring proprietor. 



In the early nineties over a hundred fish have been taken here, but 

 in recent years the bag has apparently been very seriously reduced. 



RIVER ORRIN. 



This river is the last of the contributary waters to the Conon. 

 It enters the main river lower down than the others, and comes 

 from the south-west. It is, in total length, some 23 miles, but 



