i8 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



to ply on the 26th of August, but there are none nearer than 

 Bonar Bridge. For their working I will refer my readers to the 

 chapter on " The Shin." The gaff is not permitted until the ist of 

 May, and as the banks offer but few gravelly places on which to 

 strand a fish, a landing net is almost necessary. Any of the medium- 

 sized standard flies wiU kill, — Jock Scot, Childers, and Black Doctor 

 are the local favourites, — and no other lure is permitted ; waders 

 are not required, and a grilse rod will easily cover all the water. 

 The average yield of both banks of this pretty mile of water is 

 thirty to thirty-five fish of 10 lb. ; it is sometimes let for the spring, 

 and as there is no inn at Rosehall, anglers stay at the Post Office, 

 where they are made very comfortable. There are but six casts in 

 this lower beat ; nearest the sea is the Bridge Pool, above that comes 

 Little and Big Lazy Pool — both excellent chances ; above them is 

 the Round Pool, a pretty sure cast ; then comes another pool, with 

 a Gaelic name a great deal longer than the pool itself, and which 

 I found wholly unpronounceable ; and then the Fall Pool brings 

 the angler to the top of the beat. Above the falls good sport is 

 sometimes got if July be wet — the water there going with the 

 Duchally property, rented for many years by Captain M'Taggart, 

 and owned by Mr. W. E. Gilmour. 



In 1906 a syndicate of proprietors was formed to rent the nets of 

 the Kyle of Sutherland for five years, with the object of improving 

 the angling of the Casseley, Oykel, Carron, and Shin. They agreed not 

 to commence netting till ist April instead of nth February ; to 

 cease netting on loth August instead of 20th, thereby ensuring a 

 heavy stock of grilse. The weekly close time was also extended to 

 sixty hours — from 6 p.m. on Saturday to 6 a.m. on Tuesday. The 

 very liberal treatment thus given to these four rivers quickly 

 resulted in greatly increased sport, even though the nets had worked 

 at a loss. From fift}? to eighty fish are now caught in the short 

 stretch of the Casseley lying between the falls and the Kj'le by 

 the end of April, in lieu of the twenty to thirty that were taken 

 prior to the formation of this sjTidicate. 



Here are the Rosehall takes for four years, the greater part 

 of the salmon being caught by the end of 'Sla.y : — 



1907. 1908. 1909. igii. 

 Salmon ..... 

 Grilse ..... 



Sea Trout ..... 



On the Glencasseley, Glenrossal, and Duchally groujid, the eight 

 miles of angling on both banks which are let with the shootings, the 

 catch from June to end of season was : 



1904. 1905. 1906. 1907. 1908. 1909. 1910. 



Salmon . -41 39 17 21 



Grilse . .18 7 3 8 



Sea Trout .8 12 i 3 



7 23 40 



653 

 122 



