THE FINDHORN AND THE NAIRN 241 



very poor reputation among anglers. Not very far 

 above the tideway a flat-bedded rock stretches 

 crescent-wise across the river-bed, offering an 

 obstacle practicable to ascending fish only at certain 

 heights of water. Below this rock salmon congre- 

 gate, waiting for a flood to carry them up ; here the 

 nets are plied incessantly, and it is seldom that any 

 large number escape to the upper reaches. Never- 

 theless, being lately at the shooting lodge of Dryn- 

 achan, on the Findhorn, I started with very high 

 hopes at the top of one of the most attractive 

 stretches of salmon water I had ever beheld. My 

 gillie was shy and taciturn he gave me the idea of 

 being sceptical about the presence of salmon in the 

 river, and too completely soured by disappointment 

 to encourage delusive hopes in others. He had not 

 even suggestions to offer as to the sort of flies most 

 likely to command success. 



Left to my own judgment, I mounted a large 

 Durham ranger, for the water was heavy and dark 

 brown. Before I had made a dozen casts in the top 

 of the fine sweeping stream at Ballycrochan, I was 

 in a fish. There was plenty of room for him to 

 make a grand fight, but the craven creature ran 

 about in little circles under the point of the rod, and 

 Q 



