CHAPTER LXI 



THE SHIEL OF LOCH SHIEL 



This river drains ninety-two square miles of highland country, 

 including Loch Shiel, which of itself is some twenty-three miles 

 long by rather less then one in width. A gentleman who has 

 fished the north bank for the last ten years has kindly written 

 for me a description of the river and his experiences on it. As his 

 knowledge of the Shiel is far superior to mine, I am quite sure his 

 account will be more acceptable and useful to my readers than any 

 I could give them, and annexed it is. 



The River Shiel 



flows out of Loch Shiel, and after a short run of a little over two 

 and three-quarter miles, empties into the south channel of Loch 

 Moidart, an arm of the sea. In its course it forms part of the 

 boundary between Inverness-shire and Argyllshire, and divides the 

 Dorlin estate of Lord Howard of Glossop from Ardnamurchan, the 

 property of Mr. C. D. Rudd ; the north bank belonging to Lord 

 Howard, and the south bank to Mr. Rudd. It is a sluggish river, 

 as the fall in the two and three-quarter miles is only about twenty 

 feet, and thus there is but little stream in the pools, and then only 

 when a fair volume of water is coming down. 



There are good roads and paths along each bank, and it is 

 spanned by two bridges, both at the upper end. The old Shiel 

 Bridge, which crosses the river at the head of the largest and best 

 pool, will this year be closed as a public bridge, and in place of 

 it a new one, a handsome structure of three spans, is being erected 

 by Mr. Rudd about a quarter of a mile higher up the river. 



The Shiel opens for rods and nets at the absurdly early date of 

 the nth of February. The nets come off on the 26th of August, 

 and the rods continue to fish till the 31st of October. 



The best time for salmon is from about the middle of June 

 to the middle of July; and for grilse from about the last week 

 in June to the first week in August. 



A few salmon begin to run at the end of May. Most of the 

 heavy fish come up then, but if there is a fair height of water in the 

 river, nearly all of them (and those that run early in June, do not 

 rest long in the river), make their way straight through to the 

 loch. 



