258 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



seven weeks. As in other localities, loch fishing for salmon is not of 

 very much account when spring is over. By that time the fish have 

 been too long in the water to rise freely to the fly. Altnaharra is 

 quite a nice place when you get to it, and when one reads that a 

 daily motor car carries the mails from Lairg, through Altnaharra to 

 Tongue, the journey seems simple. But that long stretch of bleak 

 Sutherlandshire road about 22 miles of it is at the present time 

 quite the worst piece of road I have experienced in Scotland, and 

 that is saying a good deal. The last time I was in the district 

 (1908) I alighted at Altnaharra with the certainty that the tyres, 

 the solid tyres, must be in shreds. Only the back tyres were in 

 shreds, and they had been many times over the road. I was 

 amazed when the motor-man said the tyres lasted three months. I 

 felt he was speaking the truth when he said the road, in winter, 

 could not be described in words. Men were at work mending the 

 road, being provided with a caravan to live in because habitations 

 there are none. I feared, however, that if they did not hustle a 

 little more than they appeared to be doing, His Majesty's motor mail 

 would be through the road into the peat shortly. This road to Altna- 

 harra seemed to me the greatest obstacle in the way of getting to 

 the place. 



The six beats of the Naver are divided as follows : 



No. 1. From foot of Loch Naver to Ceannacoille Burn. 



No. 2. From Ceannacoille Burn to low end of Dalvina Pool. 



No. 3. From low end of Dalvina Pool to Skail Burn. 



No. 4. From Skail Burn to low end of Steep Brae Pool. 



No. 5. From Steep Brae Stream to low end of Parapet Pool. 



No. 6. From low end of Parapet Pool to Apagill Burn, opposite 



old cruives. 



The beats are fished alternately, in daily succession, from No. 1 

 downwards, and an order of the beats is drawn out each year so that 

 each rod starts the season one beat lower than on the preceding 

 season. One rod goes to each beat, and fly only is allowed. The 

 use of the gaff is prohibited before 1st April and after 15th August. 

 The sub-letting of a rod is sometimes arranged with the permission 

 of the Duke of Sutherland through his factor, Mr. John Morrison, 

 Tongue. The six rods are apportioned as follows : 



The tenant of Syre Lodge has two rods. 



The tenant of Ehifail Lodge has two rods up to 31st July, after 

 which he has one rod. 



The tenant of Skelpick Lodge has two rods. 



