THE ORCHY 355 



than is required by statute, all rods having to cease fishing by 10th 

 October. 



The Inveroran Hotel water comes into ply about the middle of 

 June, when the fish are ascending the falls, and continues to the end 

 of the season. An occasional salmon is taken in Loch Tulla, but as 

 a rule the trout are fished for in the loch and the salmon in the 

 river. 



Before leaving the Orchy it may be as well to mention that, in 

 existing conditions, the Strae, which joins it at its mouth, is of prac- 

 tically no use as a salmon angling river, although a few spawning 

 fish late comers enter it. 



RIVER ETIVE. 



This river rises from the Lochau-Mathair-Etive in the Moor of 

 Rannoch, and from a number of small converging burns east of 

 Kingshouse, and some 970 feet above sea-level, and has a course of 

 about 15 miles to the head of Loch Etive. Unfortunately only 

 barely six miles of the river are open to the ascent of salmon, for at 

 Dalness a fall occurs which effectually stops further progress. 



In general character the Etive is not unlike the Orchy, but on a 

 rather smaller scale. There are stretches of streamy water with 

 gravel banks, and at intervals rocky and very deep pools, which 

 have a tendency to form into long rocky channels. The river is, 

 however, subject to violent changes of level, for the rainfall is not 

 light and the surrounding country is extremely steep. The floods 

 move the gravel banks to a great extent, and the last mile and a 

 half of the river is cut, with a winding course, through masses of 

 alluvium carried down from the hills and poured out at the head of 

 the loch. Mr. Nelson, of Gleri Etive, informs me that he has seen 

 the river rise 12 feet, in one of the rocky channels, in the course of 

 a day. 



After each flood the river is in good ply for salmon for about one 

 day, but successful sea-trout fishing is carried on for some time. 

 Salmon commence to run in May, and some heavy fish are reported 

 to ascend pretty early in the season, and to remain in the deep rocky 

 pools up the river. Sea- trout are found in great numbers in the 

 lower reaches. 



The head of the sea loch near the mouth of the river used to be a 

 most profitable netting station, for in summer when the river has 

 fallen low there is not much inducement for fish to run. All the 



