THE CARRON 211 



difficult and, to all gravid fish, quite impossible. Without taking 

 actual levels I estimate the height of the total obstruction as not 

 less than 21 feet. The rock is tilted at a high angle, the dip being 

 up-stream, and the direction of the bedding an oblique down-stream 

 slant from the left bank. A deep chasm has been washed out along 

 the line of bedding, and is so narrow at its upper end, close to the 

 left bank, that one may jump across it. As the chasm passes 

 obliquely downwards it becomes deeper, and water pours into it at 

 right angles from the ridge above. Yet fish lie in the lower part of 

 the chasm when the water is small. From the chasm to the fall 

 pool is a further descent. This takes the form of a sloping chute, 

 and, if the water is not too high, only requires a short leap from the 

 immensely deep fall pool, followed by a vigorous swim. Once in 

 what I have called the chasm, fish can only ascend further when 

 the river is dead low. Anything approaching a flooded condition 

 will at once wash fish back into the fall pool. 



This is not an easy fall to alter for the advantage of the fish. 

 Owing to the lie of the rock and the shallow nature of the river 

 immediately above, a very considerable amount of blasting would be 

 necessary to make the obstruction less serious. To blow out the 

 head of the chasm, and to continue an easy gradient by blasting 

 some distance up-stream, seems the most convenient plan. 



THE OYKELL. 



We have already seen that from Bonar Bridge the tidal Kyle 

 extends inland about 11 miles, seven of which are to be regarded as 

 the lowest section of the Oykell. This tidal section seems to form 

 a sort of haven of refuge for fish which, having passed the nets and 

 ascended into fresh water, find themselves, when rivers are low, 

 unable to ascend the various falls which in one river or other have 

 already been referred to. The river watchers inform me that on 

 July evenings great numbers sometimes show themselves below 

 Inveroykell Lodge, which marks the top of tide reach, or the point 

 to which fresh water is dammed back by the action of the tide. 



Above this point the Oykell presents for five miles a beautiful 

 succession of long pools with gravel banks. The river winds a good 

 deal, and is never very rapid, but is always inviting. Just before 

 the sharp turn to the north, where at Oykell Bridge the first rocky 

 section begins, the river Einig enters from the south. The lowest 

 section of the Einig is let to Oykell Bridge Hotel, and is often quite 

 worth fishing. The river carves its way through a deep rocky 



