CHAPTER XXX VI 



THE NAIRN 



SoiiETiMES called the Water of Alders, drains one hundred and 

 twenty-two square miles, and rises between Loch Ness and the 

 northern slopes of the Monaliadh Mountains, and after emptying 

 Loch Duntlechaig with the connecting lochs, it falls into the sea 

 at the pretty little town of Nairn. 



Prior to 1880 this was hardly worth calling a salmon river, for 

 not verj' far from the mouth at Nairn I\Iills there was a weir 

 which almost entirely barred the ascent of fish. In 18S1 the 

 upper proprietors formed a spirited combine and bought the mills, 

 together with the weir, m which they promptly knocked a gap of 

 twenty-five yards wide, the result being that before the close of 

 that rod-lishing season 300 fish were captured from the water 

 above the weir that before the making of the gap had never yielded 

 so much as a score. 



The removal of the weir opened up such a large extent of new 

 spawning ground, and let up such large quantities of spawning 

 fish, that in a few years later the coast nets were reaping nearly all 

 the benefit, and depriving the rods of anything like a proportionate 

 improvement in the angling. 



As a sop to the upper proprietors, the rod season was then 

 extended from the 15th of October to the 31st, and though of 

 course that gave the anglers more sport, the angling rents still 

 remained unduly small as compared with those of the coast nettings. 

 As usual, these nets are far too numerous, and are, moreover, per- 

 mitted to fish within four hundred yards of the Nairn mouth, 

 which is much too close to allow a reasonable stock of fish to 

 enter the river. 



From Findhorn mouth on the east and Fort George on the 

 west the coast line of the Nairn district is about fifteen miles, in 

 which distance there are no less than one hundred and fifty nets at 

 work. Their numbers should be reduced, and no nets should be 

 worked within eight hundred yards of Nairn mouth ; and either 

 this should be done, or the weekly close time should be lengthened 

 by twenty-four hours. 



The Nairn is a fine angling river with many good pools and 



streams, which, if reaUy well stocked with spring fish, would bring 



in a large sum for anghng rents. There are always clean fish in 



the river on the opening day, the nth of February, but the main 



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