KANIARD, OWSIvAIG, POLLY, AND ULLAPOOL 211 



Acting on the advice of Mr. Archibald Young, in 1878 this 

 smaller stream was deepened and enlarged by diverting into it the 

 body of the main stream, and fish were thus enabled to pass into 

 the loch nearest the sea, which they promptly did. Beyond tliis 

 loch further progress is barred by a sheer fall of twenty-five feet 

 on the stream connecting the second loch with the lower one, and, 

 up to the present, it has not been thought Vi'orth while to incur the 

 expense of taking fish up this obstacle, although the doing of this 

 would stock the other nine lochs which lie above these falls, of which 

 Skinaskink is one. It has been estimated that a Macdonald fishway 

 could be put up for £500 ; but, even if it cost twice that amount, 

 I believe the expenditure would repay itself, for the demand for 

 angling, with the consequent increase in its value, is always growing 

 larger. 



The Polly opens on the nth of February, and has the close 

 times that usually go with that date ; the best months — July, 

 August, and September. Favourite flies — Butcher, Childers, Blue 

 Doctor, and Jock Scot, and nothing over an inch in length is ever 

 used. No waders are wanted, for there are no pools on the Polly ; 

 it is all deep, stillish water, which is no use without a breeze, and 

 the stiffer the better. Salmon never go over 10 lb., and grilse run 



4 to 5 lb. There are some sea trout, and Zulu and ordinary 

 loch trout flies are freely taken, although, at times, the worm is 

 the deadliest lure. In 1S83, which was a very good year, between 

 forty and fifty salmon and grilse were taken ; but nothing so good 

 has been done in recent seasons. Three grilse is a good day, and 

 the average season will shov/ eight or ten salmon, and about as 

 many grilse. 



A few miles to the v,-est of Polly mouth there falls into the 

 sea the short river of Owskaig or Garvey, which, rising in Loch 

 Baddigyle, is connected with the larger loch of Owskaig by a short 

 stream of about a mile. When the river leaves Loch Owskaig it 

 is called the Garvey, and has a run of half a mile before it falls 

 into the loch of the same name, the foot of which is within a hundred 

 yards of the sea at high-water mark. 



These lochs and the connecting streams at one time yielded 

 very good angling for salmon, grilse, and sea trout ; but the bag-nets 

 here, as everywhere else, have terribly reduced the stock of fish. 

 Loch Owskaig is the mainhold of the fi.sh, for rarely, if ever, have 

 salmon or grilse been taken in the river itself. July and August 

 is the best time for sea trout ; and in 1893, when Captain G. W. 

 Hunt had Inverpolly, his brother-in-law, Major Arthur Gould, had 

 a real good August day of 128, ranging from i to 4 lb. 



Salmon have been heard of in Loch Baddigyle, the loch above 

 Owskaig, but I believe have never yet been caught there. It is, 

 however, a splendid loch for big brown trout, for by trolling one 

 May day in 1893, Mrs. Hunt took half a dozen of 6i lb., 6 lb., 5! lb., 



5 lb., 4|- lb., and 4 lb., and from this same loch she has also had 

 ferox of 14 lb., 11 lb., 10 lb., with many smaller ones. It will thus 



