272 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



Pool. It is situated at a rocky constriction in the river, which forms 

 a strong current at the neck, but below this the pool widens, and is 

 of considerable length, so that a fine cast is secured. I believe 14 

 fish have been taken from this pool in a day. The Duchess Pool 

 comes, most appropriately, next below, and is also an excellent cast 

 when the water is in proper condition. It is fished from a semi- 

 circular jetty of stones. Another pool which is fished from a jetty 

 is the Top Pool, which is also reckoned a pretty sure hold. 



Fish are also got in the tidal runs well below Laxford Bridge. 

 On my last visit to the neighbourhood, when coming down the hill 

 to the bay at Badcall from Ehiconich, I happened to see a capital 

 fish gaffed on to the beach on the opposite side. A strong current 

 runs out here with the ebb. 



At the commencement of this chapter it was shown that the sea- 

 netting is fairly well maintained. I am afraid it has to be confessed 

 that the rod-fishing does not now yield what it did. In evidence 

 before Lord Elgin's Commission, Mr. Donald M'Lean instanced the 

 case of the Laxford when referring in 1900 to decline of rod-fishing : 

 " The Laxford," he said, "from 1853 to 1856 yielded an average of 154 

 salmon to the rods, from 1866 to 1873, inclusive, 95, and since that 

 and up to the present- time the average has barely reached 55. 

 The records show that the falling off began with the re-establish- 

 ment of the coast nets, and continued, notwithstanding the fact 

 that the bag nets were removed from the mouth of Loch Laxford in 

 1891, since which time there have been no nets within four miles of 

 each side of the loch. The same has to be said of the other west 

 coast rivers Kirkaig, Inver, and Inchard." 



This statement hardly agrees with that of the late Mr. M'lver 

 already quoted, and I strongly suspect that the question of the 

 great capture of grilse in the sea in those regions will have to be 

 most carefully examined. The date of the re- establishment of coast 

 nets was 1873. Mr. M'Lean's statement agrees with local accounts 

 as to the reduced number of salmon seen spawning in the river. 



Through the kindness of Mr. Donald M'Lean, the estate factor. I 

 am able to give the following list of recent years, all fish being 

 taken on fly : 



