i5o THE SALMOX RIVERS OF SCOTLAXt) 



five miles, and this Lady Seafield keeps in her own hands ; the 

 opposite bank of Revach, of a hke distance, and also Seafield 

 property, is usually let. 



Next comes the Tulchan water, let by Lady Seafield to the 

 Trustees of the late Mr. Arthur Sassoon, and extending down for 

 seven miles of each bank ; the tenant usually lets it for the 

 spring and keeps it in his own hands for the autumn, Mr. G. 

 M'Corquodale having been the tenant for many past springs. 

 AprU, May, and June are the best months for salmon, and 

 July for grilse. Wading trousers are required at nearly every 

 pool. All lures are used. Gold and Silver Hiriag, Jock Scot, 

 and Dusty Miller are perhaps the four best flies. The grilse 

 average about 4 lb. and salmon 15 lb. The take varies so 

 very much according to the weather, etc., that it is hardly 

 fair to name an average, but, roughly speaking, fully 200 fish 

 should be got during the spring and summer — say up to the ist 

 of August. 



In fairly high water there are twenty-three pools on Tulchan, 

 of which but eight remain in order when the river is low, the three 

 best being the Rock, Spenock, and the Wood Pool. 



As Tulchan ends. Sir John Macpherson Grant's Ballindalloch 

 water begins, and goes down for about five miles on each bank. 

 The Castle water consists of about two miles on each side, the rest 

 of the section being let to Mr. Sofer Whitburn with the Pitcroy 

 shootings, which piece of water, though well fished, did not yield 

 more than thirty fish in the extraordinarily bad season of 1899, 

 though in average ones the whole Ballindalloch water should be 

 good for 150 fish by the ist of August. Following this, the Knock- 

 ando House water comes for three miles on the left bank and one 

 mile on the right one ; the two best pools being the Long and 

 Vrennan. Then comes the two miles of the Laggan on the left 

 bank, with the Carron fishing opposite, each having a side of the 

 celebrated Dalmonach Pool, one of the best on the river ; and it 

 was from this section that in 1897 the late J. Cruickshanks killed 

 a fish of 42 lb., the heaviest ever got above Craigellachie Bridge. 

 Although Carron is now but two miles in length, in the days of the 

 uncle of the present owner " Carron " meant all Laggan, half Wester 

 Elchies, and half Knockando ; therefore it should not be over- 

 looked that the yield of the Carron water of those days was very 

 big as compared with what it is now. 



Below this, on the left bank, comes the three miles of Wester 

 Elchies, let for many years to that good sportsman, the late Lord 

 Justice Archibald L. Smith, he subletting it in the spring and 

 keeping it in his own hands in the autumn ; a very fine stretch of 

 water, Pol Brock, Pol-ma-cree, Delagyle, and the Boat Pool, being 

 grand casts. Knockando, Laggan, Carron, and Wester Elchies, 

 and the Aberlour Free Water aU belong to Mr. J. W. H. Grant, and 

 from the whole of them from 280 to 380 fish are got each season. 



Perhaps the most extensive collection of flies ever owned by 



