84 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



In 1906 — To end of June, 324 ; shooting tenants in August and 

 September, 150. 



In 1907 — Rods, 209 ; but it is not known up to what date. 

 Loch More was dammed up and raised twelve feet in depth so that 

 an artificial spate could be created at an}' time of drought when fish 

 were showing in great numbers at the river mouth. This increased 

 the surface area of Loch More from about 170 acres to 510 acres 

 with an average depth of about 12 feet instead of eight feet. 

 Whether sahnon will rise to the fly in such a depth of water remains 

 to be seen. 



My old friend, Sir Tollemache Sinclair, who, alas ! joined the 

 great majority in 1912, often came and talked over this water 

 storage scheme with me, but I confess to having been against it, for 

 I thought that by increasing the depth of Loch More he would spoil 

 the best loch in Scotland for salmon fishing with the fly ; while in 

 addition to the hea\'y outlay (/3000) there was no certainty of its 

 ensuring better sport to the river — in fact, I considered the money 

 would have been better spent in taking off the coast nets. The 

 dam has not been a total success, but it has materiaUy improved the 

 fishing from ist July to the 5th October. In April 1908, in eighteen 

 days' fishing, Mr. Arkwright took thirty-five salmon from the 

 river, weighing 414 lb. 



In the same month Mr. Greg, commencing on the 9th April, 

 took in fifteen da^^s thirty-six fish of 400 lb. 



As to the fishing in the autumn, which closes on 5th October, the 

 tenant of Thurso Castle and its five miles of water took in 1909, 

 sixty-eight salmon ; in 1910, thirty-nine salmon ; and in 1911, 

 forty-eight salmon. The tenant of Braal Castle between ist 

 August and 5th October 1897, had a day of ten fish to his own rod ; 

 in 1909 twenty-one fish were got in a week out of a total of seventy- 

 three ; in 1910 only thirty-four fish were got, and in 1911 (an un- 

 usually dry season), only twenty-one were caught, and here the 

 question naturally presents itself — what was Loch ^lore dam 

 doing ? WTiy did it not beat the dryness of the season ? The 

 river and Loch More is now divided into seven beats. Catches as 

 under to end of May : — 



Board, lodging, attendance, and conveyance and back to beats 

 is charged 21s. a day : things are well done and quite comfortable. 



