CHAPTER XIX. 



THE WICK RIVER. 



ANGLING SEASON: llth February to 31st October. 

 NETTING SEASON : llth February to 26th August. 



THIS little river has perhaps no great reputation as a salmon stream, 

 has indeed been entirely overlooked as a salmon stream before now, 

 but it yields salmon and sea-trout to the rod every year, and is 

 certainly capable of yielding more. It has been described as rising 

 from the Loch of Watten, distant from the town of Wick about four 

 miles ; but it cannot be said to rise from this loch, although a small 

 stream issues from the loch a shallow sheet of water 2f miles long 

 with good trouting to join the Wick. Moreover, the course of the 

 river beyond Watten is quite eight miles. 



The river has its origin in the junction of two burns which flow 

 from the south towards the eastern end of Loch Watten, and unite 

 about a mile and a half from the loch. These burns are the Strath 

 and the Acharole, and taking the source of the former as the real 

 origin of the Wick, the river is about 18 miles long. The Strath 

 rises on the northern slopes of the low hills behind Lybster, and 

 flows north and west to Watten. 



Loch Watten is only 55 feet above sea-level, and it would not be 

 difficult to enlarge the outlet so as to make a more important con- 

 nection with the Wick, but the flat nature of the surrounding 

 country makes it somewhat problematical if the level of the loch 

 could be materially raised. A survey of the margins of the loch 

 with the taking of levels could alone determine this. At the same 

 time, with the rainfall which exists, it is certain that a great quantity 

 of surplus water is at times available ; and it might be possible so 

 to arrange matters that, with a larger outlet, this could be held up 

 till the Wick is running low. 



The river from Watten to the sea is rather sluggish as a whole, 



