40 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



tells that up to the 15th of the month about 525 fish had been caught, 

 " a miserably bad record for the river ! " 



" During January and February the river was frozen ; then the 

 weather turned very warm, and when the fish came they ran right 

 through and took the Kildonan Falls on the 8th of March, fully a 

 month earlier than usual." 



" Disease, I am sorry to say, is rife. The total of the Suisgill 

 rod to date is but 131 fish." 



In 1897 the six rods got 461 fish. 



In 1898, 617 fish. 



In 1899, up to the 30th of May, only 258 ! And the two best 

 days were five fish a daj' ! 



So it is to be hoped that something may be done to improve the 

 angling once more to the former standard of excellence. ^ 



At the present date the only changes in the tenants are that 

 Kildonan Lodge is let to l\Iiss Ratcliffe and sub-let for the shooting 

 season to Mr. A. L. M'Corquodale. Torrish is now in the hands of 

 Mr. H. M'Corquodale, and Badenloch is tenanted by Capt. I. L. 

 Wood ; the other three tenants are the same as in 1900. 



In 1903 the rods caught 1138 salmon and grilse. 



In 1904 they caught 999, which makes me wonder whether the 

 count is so exact that it could not have been put down at a full 1000 ! 



It was in this year that the now famous and very successful 

 system of water storage was commenced. Loch Badenloch, of 2000 

 acres, and Loch-an-Ruathier both being dammed up so as to give 

 an artificial spate in any time of drought. The returns from one 

 beat only show how successful the system is. 



In 1901 the Borrobol rod j'ielded 85 spring fish and 91 summer 

 ones ; 1902, 58 spring fish and 103 summer ones ; 1903, 99 spring 

 fish and 72 summer ones ; 1904, 64 spring fish and 76 summer ones. 



Then after the artificial spate system was worked the same rod 

 caught, in 1905, 206 spring fish and 43 summer ones. 



In this season the total catch of the six beats up to 30th April 

 was 750 salmon. 



In 1906, 1325 salmon and grilse. The heaviest, 26J lb., caught by 

 Mr. Frank Sykes of Borrobol. 



In 1908 the rods got 494 fish below Kildonan Bridge and 207 

 above it. 



In 1909, 822 on lower water and 553 on upper ; heaviest, 27 lb. 



Occasionally it happens that a beat on the Helm is sub-let, in 

 which case there is quite a scramble for it, though naturally the 

 rent is high. My advice to anyone able to treat himself to such a 

 luxury is to close for it at once without wasting time in asking 

 questions. A beat from nth Februarj' to end of April is nearly 

 certain to give a hundred fish, and often double that. I once killed 

 120 spring fish at a rent that worked out at los. a fish ! but nowa- 

 days if one catches 100 salmon for £500 it is considered to be 



' Since these pajes were penned the Helmsdale nets have been bought 

 up by the tenants of the shooting lodges. 



