222 BRITISH FRESH-WATER FISHES 



fresh [from the^ sky. As the water gradually worked down 

 through the chain of lochs, it filled up this lower lake to the 

 top of the dam. But this took a long time — nearly a week. 

 When at last this was accomplished we were ready to cut the 

 dam, and, as it was some one and a half miles from the sea, 

 we reckoned (as it proved correctly) that it would take an 

 hour for the water to reach the sea from the lake. On 

 August 2 2nd the high tide was about 4.30, so the dam was 

 cut after lunch, and, as a fact, did not take much cutting, as 

 in a few more hours it must have given way, 



" As I have described, at the mouth of the river was the 

 large sea basin,'i^at high tide crammed with fish pressing up 

 as near as they could to where the little trickle of fresh water 

 was still running. As the fresh water from the loch came 

 rushing down the excitement began. First a small shoal of 

 salmon tried the passage, then more came rushing in. So 

 madly did they swarm in that they pressed each other to the 

 sides, and many ran right ashore or scrambled up in water 

 not deep enough to cover them. Had we wished, nothing 

 would have been easier than to have scooped them out in 

 landing-nets by the score. 



" We sat watching this wonderful sight till it grew dusk, 

 and had long given up counting or trying to estimate the 

 numbers of fish running in. They must, without exaggeration, 

 have run in by thousands in the forty-eight hours that our 

 spate lasted. The next morning, I well remember, was clear 

 and bright, and, walking up the river, the pools seemed literally 

 paved with fish, even in all sorts of unlikely and unaccustomed 

 places." 



The result was a munificent reward for the labour 

 expended. The fish, instead of being spread throughout 

 the whole chain of lakes, were crowded into the lowest 

 lake, which is little more than a mile long. The bag 

 for six days was as follows, all the fish being fairly taken 

 with the fly : — 



