C,H AFTER LI V 



THE GLENELG 



This pretty little mountain stream, which drains but sixteen 

 square miles of country, rises in the high hills lying between the 

 head of Loch Hourn and the head of Loch Duich, and after an 

 impetuous course of ten miles falls into the Sound of Sleat, which 

 separates Skye from the mainland, and is here so narrow that it might 

 easily be mistaken for a broad river rather than part of the ocean. 



The Glenelg falls into the bay of the same name a few miles to 

 the south of Bernera Ferry, the very narrowest part of the Sound. 

 For the first four miles of its course it has a rapid run through a 

 succession of narrow gorges, forming deep and nearly inaccessible 

 pools, with the banks thickly studded with stunted oak, rowan, 

 and birch trees. At the end of this four miles of wild scenery and 

 rough water the glen widens, the river begins to flow more quietly, 

 while the trees vanish ; although as the small village of Glenelg 

 is approached, the pine woods on the hillsides, and in September 

 the still uncut bright green patches of oats and pasture on the 

 banks, are somewhat Norwegian in character. 



The brown trout of the Glenelg are not of much account, although 

 at times a few good ones up to 2 lb. are taken near the tidal water. 



Here, also, is another river opened at an absurd date, for the 

 Glenelg season commences legally on the nth of February, with 

 the same close times that usually go with that date. Nevertheless, 

 fish pay no attention to the open door, never putting in an appear- 

 ance until the first spate that comes after the middle of June, 

 while it is usually July before they do come, when salmon with 

 sea trout arrive together. The former have been caught up to 

 22 lb. in weight, but 7 lb. is the average. The sea trout are also 

 small, ranging from J lb. to i lb., although each season there are 

 a few of from 3 lb. to even 4 lb. that enter the river, but seldom 

 taken with the rod. Sea trout do not lie much in the salmon catches, 

 preferring to rest in the tails of the shallow pools. On the lower 

 reaches the fly is the best lure, and the only one permitted ; but 

 on the upper ones, where the fly could hardly be used, the worm 

 is sometimes very deadly. 



This little river rises and falls with extreme rapidity, so much 

 so, that in the same day it may actually be unfishable both from 

 height and lowness, so that for good sport nearly ihcessant rain 

 should fall ; but when it is right in height and colour, the fish 



