THE FORTH AND THE TEITH 269 



insist on having ; while it would also be greatly to the interests of 

 the rivers and of the upper proprietors if every tacksman was com- 

 pelled to make a return of the numbers of fish caught in his nets. 



Fish cannot ascend far up either of the head-water streams of 

 the river, there being severe and impassable falls on the Duchray 

 and in the stream from Loch Ard. On this last-named water the 

 obstruction might be overcome at a small cost, which would let 

 fish into Loch Ard ; but it has never been attempted, because a 

 strong preference is shown for the Duchray water, and very few 

 run up the Loch Ard river. 



The chief angling of the district is on the Teith tributary, a 

 clear, rapid stream with plenty of fine gravelly spawning ground, 

 which the fish like much better than the muddy, dull-running Forth. 

 The Teith rises from two streams, the northern one issuing from 

 the Braes of Balquhidder and flowing through Lochs Doine, Voil, 

 and Lubnaig, and then rushing impetuously through the pass of 

 Leny, joins the southern one at Callander, which flows through 

 Lochs Katrine, Achray, and Vennacher. Therefore, from the 

 junction of the two streams the Teith, receiving the overflow of 

 these six lochs, keeps in good angling order for a considerable 

 time, and from Callander down to Doune, a distance of about 

 twelve miles, there are a series of fine streams and pools, whose 

 chief owners are Lord Ancaster, Mr. J. B. Baillie-Hamilton of 

 Cambusmore, Sir Robert Jardine, and Mr. Buchanan Hamilton. 

 Below Doune the Teith begins to flow slower and slower as it wends 

 its way to join the Forth, until in the last mile or so it becomes 

 very deep, with hardly any stream. 



Between Callander and Doune, March and April are the best 

 months for anglmg, and on this reach, forty or fifty years ago, the 

 sport used to be first-rate ; but chiefly owmg to Craigforth cruive 

 and the netting below, it became almost worthless. 



The owner of one of the best angling stretches of the Teith 

 bemoans this sad state of affairs as follows : " I fear my ex- 

 periences are now of little value. The poor river has been de- 

 stroyed—or fished out. Twenty-five years ago I could catch a 

 score or more of beautiful spring salmon with my own rod and 

 without assistance ; the bag this year (to the 12th of May 1900) 

 is ml ! Twenty-five years ago there were about fifteen nets between 

 Stirling and the estuary ; now there are over a hundred ! Here 

 is a nut for the Royal Commission to crack." 



Another gentleman writes as follows : "I and a friend some 

 years ago rented a stretch of water on the Teith below CaUander, 

 but it was so bad that the agents took it off our hands. CaUander 

 itself is full of the most arrant poachers. The water we had was 

 very nice to look at, but devil a fish in it, and we never got one." 



Below Doune, August and September are the best months. 

 Salmon can push their way right up into Loch Doil, at the head of 

 the Teith, but they are not often caught there, although Loch 

 Lubnaig frequently yields fish to the minnow. 



