68 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



that the angler reaches it when the tide is too high or too low, and 

 so have had his journey for nothing. The pool fishes best from the 

 right bank, and no waders are required. 



On the banks of this pool is the prettily placed shooting lodge of 

 the same name, one of Mr. W. E. Gilmour's properties, and usually 

 let each season. From this lodge these lower pools could be more 

 easily and oftener fished, in which case they would doubtlessly 

 show a better yield than at present, for they are but seldom fished 

 by the anglers from above, and it seems a pity they should not go 

 with Inveroykel Lodge. 



Grilse begin to run in June, though the chief rush of these lively 

 little fellows is in July. In 1895 the two rods staying at Oykel 

 Bridge Inn got thirty-seven grilse and eighty sea trout in that 

 month. A sixteen-foot rod is ample at any time, and the largest 

 size of fly ever wanted is a No. 3/0 Limerick hook ; from that to 

 the very smallest may be used. All the standard patterns kiU. 

 Childers and Black Doctor are favourites for morning work ; but 

 Butcher, Jock Scot, Dunkeld, or Benchill are all good. With the 

 two last-named flies in April 1896 I got twenty-seven fish in as 

 many days. Anyone wishing to know the terms, etc., of the hotel 

 angling may be sui'e of an immediate reply by sending a line to the 

 Oykel Bridge Inn. 



From the foregoing remarks it will be seen that in the upper 

 beat there is a long tramp from " Junction " to " Scorabie," and on 

 the lower one a still longer journey from " The Cemetery " to " The 

 Blue." For this reason it is best to start out for the day's work in 

 shoes or boots, except there be deep snow, and let the ghillie carry the 

 waders, and then shift them off and on as occasion requires ; indeed, 

 on all rivers where trousers are necessary, and the pools some 

 distance apart, it is far more healthy and comfortable to do the 

 walking in shoes, and have the waders carried. 



The Oykel, though dependent on rainy weather for sport, is a 

 very pretty river to fish ; many of its " bitties " requiring fine and 

 accurate casting. One matter puzzled me very much. During 

 April 1896 I was every day on the river, and it was impossible not 

 to notice that on each Monday and Tuesday there were always a 

 certain number of clean-run fish to be seen between " The Rock" 

 and "The Langwell " ; by Wednesday or by Thursday these fish 

 had all disappeared. Where did they go to ? The natives assured 

 me that they do not pass over the falls till the end of April. Had 

 they gathered into the pools below the falls they must have been 

 seen, for the banks are high, and with sunshine and clear water 

 every stone in George's Pool can be inspected. For the same 

 reason these fish also did not pass up the Einig ; there remains 

 only the alternative that they fell back to the salt water of the 

 Kyle, or did ascend the Oykel Falls, the latter being more likely 

 than the former. 



The following extract from a letter sent me by Major Burnell 

 Milnes may perhaps support my theory that the fish ascend the falls 



