THE LAXFORD 273 



The average for these years is 47, but the year 1901 is clearly 

 exceptional, possibly through little fishing having been carried on. 

 The average for the last five years is 56. 



The damming up of Loch Stack, so as to impound water till such 

 times as the river runs too low, so as to induce a greater volume 

 of water at the chief fishing season, seems well worth some 

 consideration. So far as the outflow of the river is concerned, the 

 possibility of doing so rather easily seems considerable, but the 

 affect upon the sea-trout fishing of Loch Stack would have to be 

 taken into careful consideration, if any great deepening of the loch 

 was proposed, as well as possible difficulties on surrounding land 

 and roads. 



EIVER INVER. 



From the mouth of Loch Laxford, south, past Handa Island with 

 its countless birds, across the wide Edderachylis Bay, and round 

 Khu Stoer to Loch Inver is about 24 miles. The Inchard and 

 Laxford are comparatively close together, flowing north-west, the 

 Inver and the Kirkaig are also close together, but at some distance 

 from the others. 



Edderachylis Bay terminates in a curious ramification called Loch 

 Cairnbawn, which narrows to something like half a mile at Kylesku 

 Ferry and then bifurcates into two deep sea lochs, Loch Glendhu 

 and Loch Glencoul. A stream enters the head of each, where fish 

 run up at the " back-end " of the year to spawn. These streams are 

 perhaps hardly worth special description, but Kylesku is worth 

 mention because it is not generally known that bull-trout and sea- 

 trout are here caught in the strong salt water currents which run 

 through the narrows and round a few small islands. When I say 

 bull-trout I mean S. trutta eriox, the migratory variety of the sea- 

 trout so common in the Tweed and the Coquet. This fishing seems 

 to be best in June and July. 



The river Inver flows out of Loch Assynt and has a somewhat 

 rapid course of 6 miles to the sea at Loch Inver. A considerable 

 tributary, the Alt-an-Tiaghaich joins it about a mile below the loch 

 outlet. It is a river of no great size but of very varied character, 

 broad and shingly not far from the mouth, where the remains of old 

 cruives may still be seen, stony and rather rough in other places, 

 again deep and rocky, and yet again wide and open. It is divided 

 into upper and lower beats between the Long Pool and the Deer 

 Pool, the latter being the first of the upper section as one ascends. 



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