SALMON-FISHING 257 



to turn the river into a trickle or a flood at a 

 moment's notice still remains, the object of the gates 

 being, of course, to prevent flooding of lands on the 

 borders of the upper lake. 



In spite of these interferences by the hand of man, 

 the Erne still remains, for its short length, one of the 

 finest and most sporting salmon-rivers in the kingdom. 

 It has, of course, suffered, like most other Scotch 

 and Irish rivers, from the generally diminished supply 

 of salmon around the British Isles. It does not yield 

 quite the sport it did, say, twenty years ago. But 

 Erne fishing is still good. There are seven beats 

 between Belleek Gates and Ballyshannon Bridge, 

 fished in daily rotation by seven rods up to 1 p.m., 

 after which hour it is ' go as you please.' Before the 

 drainage era there was another beat at Eel Weir Hill, 

 about two miles above Belleek, where up to ten fresh 

 salmon have frequently been taken by a single rod 

 in a day. The drainage operations have now turned 

 this throw into a sluggish canal, where taking fish no 

 longer lie. 



There is yet another beat, not included in the 

 seven, below Ballyshannon Bridge, whereon the 

 fishing goes by favour. Given certain essential con- 

 ditions, a medium high water, a dull sky, and a strong 

 westerly breeze, and Ballyshannon pool, despite the 

 homely surroundings of the town, is well worth a long 

 day's journey to fish. It is fished mainly from a boat. 

 After the end of June salmon lie in every yard of its 

 two hundred of length. At the tail of it, and near 

 the falls, the current quickens on what is known as 

 the 'rope- walk,' where fish fresh from the sea lie 

 on the very breast. The lowest current of all above 

 the falls can be fished from the rocks, and a good 



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