THE SPEY 



163 



to cease work, and these periods of enforced inactivity are the very 

 times when fish are running up as fast as they can. 



The arrangements for the autumn angling at Gordon Castle are as 

 near perfection as possible. The fly is the only lure permitted. There 

 are fully twenty-five pools, most of which require wading trousers. 

 The best of them are Lord March, Alt Dearg, Green Bank, Dipple, 

 Upper and Lower Bulwark, Corngabbie, Stynie, Chapel, Lennox 

 Water, Rock, and Turn. Braehead is the lowest, and from here to 

 the sea the river is Uable to great alterations each season from spates. 



The Duke can send out from ten to twelve rods daily, and 

 captures of from seven to eleven fish to a rod are by no means 

 rare. In the years of 1886, 1887, 1888, and 1889 there were over 

 twenty fish killed which weighed between 30 and 45 lb. In 

 1887, Lord Berkeley Paget, who had previously fished the Gordon 

 Castle water for many seasons without ever getting a thirty-pounder, 

 not only made up for past bad luck, but established a record that I 

 believe is quite unique, at any rate in Scotland, for on the 6th, 7th, 

 8th, and 9th of October — in four successive days — he hadafishof 3olb. 

 each day, the largest of them being 37^- lb. In 1888, Lord Lecon- 

 field had in one day a forty- and a thirty-four-pounder with three 

 others. In 1889, the Duke had one of 45 lb., and a few days later 

 Lord Leconfield another of the same heavy weight. In 1891, the 

 13th of October gave fifty-six fish to fourteen rods. In 1886 — the 

 record year — the total take was 809 salmon and 232 grilse, or 1041 

 in ah. In 1892 the take was 674 salmon and 276 grilse. In 1895, 

 Lord March • had a day of twelve from the Long Pool, which weighed 

 169 lb. ; another of a like number from Stynie, which scaled 

 184 lb. ; and a third day also of twelve, which weighed 245 lb. — a 

 splendid average. On the nth of October 1895, Lord Walter 

 Lennox made the record for one rod by taking from Bridge and 

 Quarry fifteen fish, weighing 270 lb. The three best days are 

 as follows ; On the 15th of October 1886, fifteen rods had seventy- 

 four fish ; on the 23rd of September 1892, fifteen rods had seventy- 

 two fish ; on the nth of October 1895, ten rods only had fifty-two 

 salmon and twenty grilse — a truly remarkable day ! 



The following are the takes at Gordon Castle between the ist of 

 September and the 15th of October, for the ten years 1890 to 1899 :— 



Salmon. Grilse. Total. 



