THE BRORA 221 



waters are reached, often extremely fine. At Carrol a small 

 hatchery has been in existence since 1878. The loch is netted near 

 the Carrol narrows in the early months of the year, and often con- 

 tains great numbers of salmon. Why they are not more fished for 

 by rod in the spring of the year I do not know, unless it be that 

 the salmon fishing being closely preserved, the tenants naturally 

 disregard boat work in favour of the river bank. A fair number of 

 sea-trout also enter the loch. The brown trout may be fished for 

 by visitors to Brora Hotel, but they run very small. 



Below Loch Brora the lower river has a course of 4 miles to the 

 sea. The mouth is 12 miles south of Helmsdale. The total 

 angling water, discounting the water above the junction, is about 18 

 miles. 



The best section is undoubtedly the lower river. Ascending 

 from the sea the tidal water, which can be seen from the train as 

 it slows across the bridge before stopping at Brora Station, is in a 

 rocky gorge with a comparatively narrow, black-looking pool, down 

 the side of which a rope and snatch block may be seen facilities 

 for the netsmen. 



Eising out of tide-reach over a stony ford the river is followed to 

 the southward in a wide bend upwards, skirting the edge of an old 

 and much larger river channel now covered with peat and heather, 

 and supporting a tile work which, during any visit of mine, has been 

 particularly noticeable both to the eye and the nose. An old 

 cruive used to exist a short distance from the mouth, its presence 

 being still notified by the name of the pool. There are nine 

 pools to the Ford Pool, where a footbridge now crosses, and above 

 this the river passes through about half a mile of fir wood with 

 one other pool (the Otter) before the outlet from the loch is 

 reached. 



The lower river is fished by two rods, one from each lodge 

 Balnacoil and Gordonsbush. The Duke, however, reserves the right 

 to fish this part of the river in April if he wishes to do so, or if 

 guests are at Dunrobin Castle, and motors don't make much of the 

 distance between Dunrobin and Brora. After 10th August the 

 lower river is retained, as attached to the Dunrobin shootings, or 

 perhaps one should more correctly say, attached to Uppat, an out- 

 lying appendage to Dunrobin. 



On approaching the foot of the loch a curious square timber 

 erection catches the eye, and one is reminded that a former Duke 

 commenced the establishment of an eel fishery, and that this square 



