334 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



early months), which is perfectly free to them at this point, but 

 which in the early months of the year contains cold water. 



In part the creation of the Mucomer Fall and its weir under the 

 west arch of the road-bridge was intended by the Commissioners as 

 a safeguard against the undue lowering of Loch Lochy. I under- 

 stand, however, that Loch Lochy now generally contains a surplusage 

 of water for canal purposes, and that in all probability the amount of 

 water now discharged from the loch is not equal to the amount 

 formerly carried out by the unobstructed upper Lochy. At the 

 same time, I have no doubt, since the river Lochy was in those early 

 days freely netted by the then proprietor of the Barony of Lochaber 

 (the Duke of Gordon), as well as fished by cruives about two miles 

 from the mouth, the keeping down of the fish, i.e. the prevention of 

 their ascending into Loch Lochy through Mucomer, was regarded 

 apparently as good policy for the net fishing. When Lord Abinger, 

 who acquired the fishings, decided to remove all nets and cruives from 

 the river for the sake of securing a good angling river, which, even 

 from a purely monetary point of view, is to a proprietor of more 

 value, Mucomer Pool became the best in the river, because the 

 creation of the new water-course from Loch Lochy poured the warm 

 waters of the loch into Mucomer Pool, thus inducing early fish to 

 run this length, while the creation of the obstruction now known as 

 Mucomer Fall prevented these fish leaving the pool. Fish, there- 

 fore, accumulated in Mucomer Pool. 



In 1863 a statement was prepared on behalf of the late Mr. 

 Edward Ellice, and presented to the Commissioners of Salmon 

 Fisheries, whose powers and duties are now transferred to the Fishery 

 Board for Scotland. This statement was approved and acquiesced 

 in by the late Lochiel, and deals very largely with the matter now 

 under review the change in the fisheries of the district owing to 

 the creation of the obstacle at Mucomer. The following extracts are 

 of special interest : 



" Apparently at one period considerable value was attached to 

 the salmon fishing in Loch Lochy. The different stations where it 

 was prosecuted upon the shores of the loch are specially named in 

 all the old titles. But since the formation of the Caledonian Canal 

 the access of fish from the sea into the loch has been prevented, and 

 the salmon fishing entirely destroyed. . . . 



" The improvement of the fishing generally, the chief object of the 

 late Act (1862), has also to be considered. The tributaries of Loch 

 Lochy suitable for spawning ground very greatly exceed in extent all 



