280 



THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



The mouth is a longish and flat tidal channel, opening into what 

 is called Loch Kanaird at the back of Martin Island, outer Loch 

 Broom. This is, however, practically a joint mouth for two streams, 

 since the Euinie joins the Kanaird a short distance above the mouth. 

 The junction pool is the favourite in the river, and often holds large 

 numbers of sea-trout. 



Both streams above this have a very rocky course, and are con- 

 siderably obstructed by frequent small cascades and falls. This is 

 especially the case with the Kanaird which in its upper part is 

 deeply cut into a rocky bed. Salmon are reported to ascend only 

 about 4 miles. Both streams belong to the Countess of Cromarty, 

 and are let with Druimruinie Lodge. 



Salmon are to be got here in spring, as is the case also in the 

 Ullapool river, but they are seldom fished for I believe. Grilse are 

 not got in any numbers. In 1907 11 grilse were recorded, and in 

 the previous year 10, but these are the greatest scores in the last 

 ten years. 



Major Blunt has kindly supplied me with the full record since 

 1809. I append the results in the following form : 



Year. 



Salmon and Sea 



Grilse. Trout. 



1899 - 10 41 



1900 - 3 84 



1901 - 12 57 



1902 - 19 22 



1903 - 29 56 



Year. 



1904 

 1905 

 1906 

 1907 

 1908 



Salmon and 

 Grilse. 



8 



13 

 33 

 31 



20 



Sea 

 Trout. 



21 



47 



61 

 115 

 100 



In the years when the salmon totals are small, the brown trout 

 totals are usually extra large, which suggests that the shooting 

 tenants preferred to have the comparative certainty of good brown 

 trout baskets to the chance of a salmon. Tor instance, in 1901 

 there were 659 brown trout, in 1904 there were 802. The year 

 1906 was a good all-round fishing year : 3 spring salmon, 20 summer 

 and autumn salmon, 10 grilse, 61 sea-trout, and 821 brown trout. 

 To complete the bag I may add 5 rainbow trout the best total 

 which has ever been got after turning down about 10,000 fry. This 

 makes a total for 1906 of 920 fish. 



In explanation of the great amount of brown trout fishing, I may 

 state that Druimruinie Lodge has some nine or ten lochs it can fish. 

 In a case such as this, therefore, the record of salmon caught is 

 really no indication of what might be got were salmon fishing made 

 a regular and serious part of the season's sport. Tenants frequently 

 do not come till August, and the gun is then more commonly taken 



