254 



THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



from 7 lb. to lo lb. Twenty-three pounds is the heaviest ever got 

 on the Ormidale reach. In 1882, Colonel Campbell caught on — 



August I St . 



2nd . 



22nd 

 September 5th 

 25th 



In 188^— 



July 1 2th . 

 August loth 

 27th 

 October 19th 



62 lb. 



22^ „ 



42* „ 



30' .. 



20 ,, 



177 lb. 



22i lb. 



41 .. 

 26 ,, 



53 ., 



In this season the Colonel fished for twenty-two da}-; 

 total catch was — 



22 salmon ....... 



178 sea trout ....... 



when his 



iSS lb. 

 1S5 ,, 



The large sea trout run first, and commence to come in July, 

 although in some seasons they run smaller than in others : 1882 

 was a small year, while in 1883 they ran a better size. Nearly 

 the whole of the above were taken with the fly — the seven salmon 

 with the same Jock Scot. Sport on this river is even better now 

 than in the above-mentioned years, for in the days of these scores 

 Colonel Campbell had not rented the nets working on the east shores 

 of Loch Ridden, as in 1884 he went to reside on another property, 

 and did not return to Ormidale until 189S, when, having the oppor- 

 tunitj', he secured the monopoly of the netting ; and under these 

 circumstances, when the Ruel is in order, it is perhaps the best 

 river of its size in these parts. 



The Eckaig drains forty-one square miles, and flowing from 

 Loch Eck, it has but a five-mile course ere it falls, at Kilmun. 

 into the salt water of the Holy Loch, a branch of the lengthy 

 Loch Long. The whole of the river, with the fishing rights, 

 belongs to Mr. H. J. Younger of Benmore, who preserves it 

 strictly ; and though that fact is pretty well known, yet hardly a 

 day passes without his receiving troublesome applications for 

 leave to fish. 



Sea trout run in May and June, salmon and finnocks in July and 

 August, and grilse in June and July. Salmon average 10 lb., grilse 

 6 lb., and sea trout i J lb. They do not stay very long in the river, 

 but pass up into Loch Eck, a fine sheet of water some seven miles 

 in length by one in breadth. 



There are two hotels — those of Loch Eck and Whistlefield — on 

 its shores, each having the right of letting out boats on the loch 

 from Mr. Leschallas, the owner of the Glenfinnart estate on the east 

 side of the loch, the whole of the west shore belonging to Mr. 



