THE CARRON OF THE KYLE OF SUTHERLAND 21 



joins on, and here also in wet weather good fishing is to be 

 had. 



The Carron has neither obstructions, pollutions, nor disease, and 

 is one of the four rivers — the Shin, Oykel, and Casseley being the 

 other three — which will probably be altered for the better by the 

 fact of the Bonar Bridge nets being in the hands of a syndicate of 

 gentlemen, and further details of their objects will be found in the 

 chapter relating to " The Shin." Suffice it to say that in 1897 all 

 the Bonar Bridge nets were only worked five daj's a \veek, while 

 during the latter part of the season they were only fished for sixty 

 hours a week. In my opinion, anyone securing the lease of a beat 

 on any of these four rivers of the Sutherland Kyle at the present 

 price is pretty sure of increased sport, or of behig able to sub-let 

 at a higher rental. 



This river benefited perhaps more than any other of the Kyle 

 rivers by the action of the syndicate, and the average catch on each 

 section showed vast improvement. 



By the way, when mentioning an " average " one of the first 

 questions put iDy the Fishery Board for Scotland to the Inspectors 

 of Districts is : " State whether the take of fish has been above or 

 below the average of previous years." 



The answer given is ever and always : " Above or below the 

 average," as the case might be ; but as in not one single instance is 

 any statement made of what the average take has consisted, it 

 leaves the reader quite in the dark as to what the yield of any 

 particular river has ever been either to net or rod. Here are some 

 of the catches of recent years, and commencing with the Amat 

 fishing in the upper part of the Carron. This is sometimes let in 

 July, and in ordinary weather yields thirty salmon and grilse in the 

 month. A small lodge on the ground can be had, or Ardgay Hotel 

 is eight miles by good road. There is room for two rods, as it has a 

 mile of each bank, and at the Carron Falls a unique arrangement 

 exists by which the Fall Pool is fished by each of the two owners, 

 or their tenants, every three hours. This prevents rival fishing, and 

 when fish are running gives each party an equal chance. Here are 

 some of the Braelangwell catches, which comes in below Amat. 

 The bulk is made by the end of July, and there are very few autumn 

 fish. 



1904, 1905. 1906. 1907. 190S. 1909. 1910. 



Salmon and Grilse . 55 33 57 84 26 44 66 



Sea Trout . . .154 21 4 155 50 S3 99 



At Glencalvie — that very pretty lodge now owned by Mr. Dyson- 

 Perrins of Ardross and usually let each season — extent about four 

 miles of south bank — the takes are as follows : — 



1909. 19:0. 1911. 1912. 



Salmon and Grilse . . . 122 93 57 60 



Here again the best of the sport is over by the end of July. 



