THE DEE 105 



Returning up stream to Balmoral Bridge, the left bank still 

 belongs to Invercauld, and for many years was let to the hotel at 

 Ballater, and enjoyed the distinction of being the finest bit of hotel 

 angling in Scotland, for as many as 300 fish have been killed in 

 a month by the hotel rods, one gentleman getting 133 fish as his 

 share. This fishery has now been let apart from the hotel to a 

 syndicate of gentlemen. 



At the end of the Invercauld water, and on the left bank, there 

 comes the short section of Morven, belonging to Mr. Keiller, and 

 about half a mile in extent — a streamy, low water anghng, which 

 fishes best in April, May, and June, and off which, when just 

 " right," as many as seven fish have been taken in a day. Trousers 

 are required, as the lie of the fish is on the south side of the river. 



At the end of Morven, Monaltrie begins, and passing Ballater 

 extends down for between four and five miles. This angling is 

 also the property of Mr. Farquharson, and goes with the house and 

 shooting of the same name. Of late years it has not yielded so 

 well as formerly, when rented by the late Mr. Pickop, who made 

 some very fine catches off it, chiefly with the natural winnow. 

 The floods that have changed this water for the worse will doubt- 

 lessly, in due course, restore it to the old and better state. All 

 anghngs are more or less liable to those fluctuations, and if in 

 consequence of a few bad seasons, and from no other cause, they fall 

 in value, then is the time for the astute angler to get a lease. 



Returning to the right bank, as the Birkhall reach ends at the 

 Muick burn, the Glenmuick water begins, which is at times called 

 Pannanich, and extends down for three miles until it joins Glen 

 Tana. In this distance there are eight good pools, the Lodge and 

 the Garden being the two best. Sir Victor Mackenzie keeps it in 

 his own hands. In low water, trousers are necessary, but it fishes 

 best when the river is so high that the pools can be cast from the 

 banks. As Monaltrie ends on the left bank and Glenmuick on the 

 right, there commences one of the finest stretches of the Dee, for 

 joining on to the former comes Cambus o' May, while the far-famed 

 section of Glen Tana begins immediately opposite. Cambus is 

 now the property of Mr. Barclay Harvey, and extends between 

 three and four miles down the left bank, until about a quarter of a 

 mile below the pool of Tassack it is joined by Glen Tana. 



There are eighteen good casts on it, the best being Gordon's 

 Clarick, the Boat Pool, Pol Sherlyss, the Long Pool, and Tassack, 

 which is far away the best of the lot, and perhaps the very best pool 

 on the whole Dee. As many as nine fish have been taken in a day 

 from the Cambus bank, and three from the Glen Tana one. In 

 1887, 1 had the good luck to have the February anglmg of this water 

 given to me, and as in those days Cambus had also the bank that 

 now belongs to Glen Tana, I had the run of both sides ; but as 

 there had been no early floods to lead the fish up stream, I got 

 but nineteen, nearly all coming out of Tassack. If there is to be 

 real good early sport on this and the fishings above, it is essential 



