CHAPTER LIX 



THE MORAR 



A SHORT, clear, strong-running stream falling into the Atlantic 

 opposite to the Island of Rum. Although it has a course of less 

 than a mile, it drains sixty-five square miles of very hilly country, 

 in which is included Loch Morar, a fine piece of water forming a 

 reservoir of fifteen miles long, and \'arying in breadth from half a 

 mile to two miles ; therefore this river does not run down so very 

 quickly. The south or left bank is owned by Mrs. Nicholson of 

 Arisaig, and is usually let with the shootings of South Morar. The 

 north bank belongs to Lord Lovat, and is always let with North 

 Morar Lodge, both waters being strictly preserved. 



Between the loch and the sea there are but three well-defined 

 pools, of which the Fall Pool is the chief one. Here the river makes 

 a perpendicular drop of several feet, but in times of fairly big water 

 the height is reduced sufficiently to permit the free run of fish. 

 It is from this pool that the bulk of them are taken ; and though it 

 is to be regretted that it is so absolutely useless to use any other 

 lure than the worm, there is the redeeming point that, when once a 

 fish is hooked, it is always a difficult matter to land it on account of 

 the many sharp ledges of rocks with which the pool abounds, and 

 the " cut direct " is of frequent occurrence. In this pool on clear 

 days great numbers of salmon, grilse, and sea trout can be seen 

 saihng round and round, and then even the worm becomes useless. 

 Any one fishing this pool should take care to provide plenty of spare 

 hooks and leads, for the undercurrents make it difficult to avoid 

 being hung up. 



Here, then, anglers can get worm fishing almost as good as can 

 be had on any river in Scotland of the same size. As far as my 

 experience goes, this form of sport requires long practice before 

 anything approaching perfection can be attained. A duffer wiU be 

 worming all day and catch nothing but rocks ; an expert working 

 behind him will come home with three or four fish, and for this reason 

 the skill necessary for the proper use of the " red eagle," as they 

 call it in some places, is worthy of a better recognition than is 

 usually given to it. 



Below the fall, and when the river is on the big side, there is a 

 fair pool for the fly. Then below comes the Island Pool, just at the 

 junction of the fresh and salt water ; and this is the most sporting 

 of_the three. The river is crossed here by the bridge of the high 



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