THE SALMON RIVERS OF 

 SCOTLAND 



CHAPTER I 



THE ALNESS 



Rises in Mr. Walter Slioolbred's Forest of Kildermorie, flows into 

 Loch Morie, which is partly in the forest, and on leaving it enters 

 the Novar property. There are, however, no salmon in Mr. Sliool- 

 bred's part of the river, as the fish do not reach Loch Morie ; never- 

 theless, he maintains a hatchery capable of taking 80,000 ova ; 

 in addition to this the Alness District Board have another one on the 

 lower reaches capable of turning out 100,000 fry. 



After leaving Loch Morie the Alness has a rapid, rocky run of 

 some fifteen miles, until it falls into the Cromarty Firth a little 

 below the pretty village of Alness. 



The angling is divided amongst the four lower proprietors, 

 Ardross and Novar having by far the largest portion ; the mile 

 nearest the sea goes with Major Mackenzie's property of Dalmore 

 and that of Teaninich, v/hich he also rents. Then on the left bank 

 Mr. Dyson -Perrins' Ardross Castle estate comes in ; while on the 

 right, Novar and Teaninich have the rest of the river, — the four 

 proprietors preserving their fishings strictly, and uniting to protect 

 and improve them. 



The river opens on the nth of February, the Cromarty Firth 

 nets come off on the 26th of August, and the rod continues till the 

 31st of October. Though clean fish are got in the nets of the Firth 

 at the opening of the season, the Alness itself is of no use until the 

 first flood after the middle of June, and then salmon, grilse, and sea 

 trout (fast becoming extinct) all ascend together. There are neither 

 cruives, obstructions, pollutions, or disease, while the upper reaches 

 have excellent spawning grounds. A fourteen-foot rod will be 

 ample — indeed a trout rod will suffice, and when fishing this stream 

 some twenty years ago I used nothing else, taking care to have fifty 

 yards of reel line and good stout salmon gut, the last strand or two 

 next the fly being somewhat finer than the whole line. 

 I 



