CHAPTER LII 



THE EWE 



The whole of which belongs to Sir Kenneth [Mackenzie of Gairloch, 

 drains one hundred and fifty-seven square miles of very hilly 

 country, and empties Loch Maree into the salt water of Loch Ewe. 

 It much resembles the River Awe in character, as it has but a 

 total course of about a mile and a half, while all the pools can be 

 fished dry-shod. The river opens on the nth of February, closes 

 for nets on the 26th of August and for rods on the 31st of October. 

 The chief run of fish is in May, June, July, and August ; salmon 

 averaging 13 lb. and grilse 6 lb. 



The upper portion of the river contains a large amount of dead, 

 deep water, wanting a breeze on it in times of spate, and there 

 are three places in which fish rise. The first of these below Loch 

 Maree, the Upper Narrows, is wide and shallow, opening out into 

 a lakelet, where, just as it widens, stone jetties are run out for the 

 convenience of anglers. The wooded banks rise rather steeply 

 behind the fisher, so that here the Spey cast comes in very handy. 

 Some three hundred yards below are the Middle Narrows, widening 

 out as they end into a small loch of great depth and which always 

 holds fish. The right bank is wooded, while the left one is clear, 

 with the bank low. In big water the fish lie close to the banks, 

 and this cast may then be fished as low down as can be reached 

 from the bank. About a hundred yards nearer the sea is the deep 

 pool of the Lower Narrows, fishing best with heavy water. 



The river proper now commences at the New or Upper Cruive 

 Pool, fished from piers, the best cast being that near the end of 

 the pool on the left bank. The fly should alight right on the far 

 side of the stream, as the fish rise as it swings into the tail of the 

 lieaviest part of the current. In quite low water the upper parr 

 of the stream also fishes well. Next comes " M'Hardy's " — really 

 more of a rough stream than a pool — which looks better than it 

 is. Following this is the Grilse Pool, fished from the right bank 

 only, and not as certain a cast now as it formerly was. Then 

 comes the Holy and the High Wood, both fished from the left 

 bank, neither being of much worth. These are followed by the 

 Manse Pool, which is cast from the left bank, and is another case 

 illustrating the deceitfulness of appearances. The middle pier is 

 the best chance, for hereabouts there is often a big but dour fish 

 to be seen. Below this, the river widens very much, and then, in 



I'j9 



