THE ORCHY 155 



greater gameness than the ordinary pike of English waters, some 

 of them running out with one dash from thirty to forty yards of 

 line and then springing several times high out of water. 



The Bridge of Orchy Station is now but three miles distant from 

 the Inveroran Hotel, which, in addition to the river angling, also 

 has the privilege of fishing on Loch TuUa, where salmon are occa- 

 sionally got, and where before the pike came trout used to be 

 plentiful, large, and of excellent quaUty. The best months for this 

 hotel are from the middle of June to the end of the season, while 

 here, as at Dalmally Hotel, angling is restricted to the fly only. On 

 this last-named water the best time is from the beginning of April 

 to the middle of June, and then from September to the loth of 

 October. All the flies that are good in the Awe are also killers 

 here, and almost all of the small standard patterns can be used. 

 No waders are wanted, and a rod of sixteen feet will cover the 

 water. 



Immediately below the Fall Pool in a short distance come the 

 four next best pools, viz. the Big Stone, Tail of All, General's 

 Rock, and Yellow Flag. 



Sea trout are very rarely met with, and are certainly not plentiful 

 enough to angle for. 



Many years ago a curious way of catching fish used to be practised 

 at Catnish, near the falls, where a rock obstructs the current almost 

 from side to side. During spates a basket was fixed across the- 

 water rushing through the narrows thus formed, into which fish 

 fell back when trying to leap the fall. This was once a common 

 way of catching fish all over Scotland, and was used in most places 

 where the natural fall of the water permitted ; and tradition has 

 it that before the making of the Caledonian Canal changed the 

 level of the Achnacarry waters, near the house there was a basket 

 of this sort, into which when the salmon fell it also rang a bell in 

 the kitchen to let the cook know. 



From 1902 to 1909 this river is not mentioned by the Fishery 

 Board Reports. The Awe and its tributary the Orchy are the only 

 instances I know of where the rod fishing closes before the time 

 fixed by law. On both these rivers the rod may legally be phed 

 until 31st October, but Lord Breadalbane, the Duke of Argyll, and 

 other proprietors have decreed that in the interests of the salmon, 

 rod fishing shall end on 15th October, and on that date it accordingly 

 does end. There are plenty of other rivers on which this example 

 might well be followed. 



