CHAPTEK XXIII. 



RIVERS: INCHARD, LAXFORD, INVER, KIRKAIG, POLLY, 

 KANAIRD, ULLAPOOL, AND BROOM. 



ANGLING SEASON: llth February to 31st October. 

 NETTING SEASON : llth February to 26th August. 



THOSE rivers on the west coast of Sutherland and Ross may in a 

 sense be classed together, although each has its own characteristics. 

 They are, with one exception, rapid rivers draining the mountainous 

 region of their country, of pure water, rocky or gravel strewn, 

 amidst splendid scenery, and far from the railway and the busy 

 haunts of men. 



Taken collectively the first four are of special interest because of 

 the valuable information their treatment has yielded respecting the 

 regulation of netting. They have, as it were, passed through various 

 phases of treatment before the policy now in vogue was finally 

 adopted. We have to go back to 1845 for the commencement of 

 this history. At this date bag nets were fished on the coast and 

 it should be realised that the estuary limitations on those nets did 

 not then exist sweep nets were fished at the river mouths, and 

 cruives were fished in the rivers themselves. 



The result was a complete depletion, so that the tacksman of the 

 fisheries asked to be relieved of his lease. The total rental was then 

 400. The tacksman was relieved of his lease and from 1851 to 

 1856 no netting was carried on, angling alone being the means of 

 fishing. Under these conditions the stock of fish rapidly recovered. 



In 1857 sweep nets were again started at the river mouths, but 

 no other netting was allowed, it having been considered that the 

 former depletion was the result of the fixed engine fishing. The 

 total rental was 410, and in this year 15,204 Ib. weight of fish were 

 captured. In 1858, 6089 Ib. weight of fish was the take, and in 

 1859 7331 Ib. were captured. 



