^32 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



^^But to show the weight to which Shiel fish attain, Alexander 

 iviatheson, the gamekeeper at Dorhn, in 1900 picked out of a 

 snailow in the river a dead one, which measured three feet nine 

 inches long. In condition this feUow would, I think, have pulled 

 the scale at from 40 to 45 lb. Also three years ago a dead fish 

 was found on the shore of Loch Shiel, estimated at fully 50 lb., the 

 head of which is preserved and set up in Dorhn House. 



Sea Trout 



Sea trout begin to run in May, the heavy ones (three and four 

 pounders, and occasionally up to 6 lb.) coming up in that month 

 and continuing through the greater part of June ; finnocks in 

 July. 



When the water is very low, as it unfortunately is in some 

 years, and difficult for even sea trout to make their way up to the 

 loch, they remain in the river pools, and on a suitable day excellent 

 sport with them is obtained, making up to some extent for the lack 

 of bigger fish at such times. 



The record catch was made by a friend fishing with me about 

 the iniddle of June 1893, and he had eighty-eight in one day, from 

 J lb. to 2 J lb., all taken on small river trout fhes. 



On a breezy day, when sea trout are running and they are on 

 the take, catches of twenty to thirty can be got ; and if it is a bright- 

 ish day, a very small Silver Doctor for a tail and ordinjury river 

 trout flies are the best to use. 



The Loch 



For salmon fishing in the loch from about the last week in June 

 to the end of September is the best time, but sport is very uncertain. 

 TroUing the phantom is mostly practised, but on suitable windy 

 days a small salmon fly, size 4 to 6, is equaUy or more successful. 



The loch is also fished for sea and iDrown trout, most of the big 

 ones being got by troUing. 



If the bag-nets on the coast were up for an extra twenty-four 

 hours at the end of the week— lifted at six o'clock on Friday night 

 instead of six o'clock on Saturday night, and seen to that they were 

 really liited — I am sure that the coast, river, and loch fishing would 

 in a few years be greatly benefited. And the anghng on the river 

 would be stiU further improved if some of the large stones, removed 

 from the pools to facilitate the working of the nets in the days when 

 the river was scringed, were put back again to form lies for fish. 

 This is needed especially at the Captain's and Garrison Pools. Fish 

 would not then run through to the loch so quickly as they do now. 



For its short length there are few rivers in Scotland that have 

 a prettier course than the Shiel. WTiere it leaves the loch the 

 mountain scenery is very grand, and at the mouth, where its waters 

 are emptied over a succession of low falls mto Locli Moidart, the 



