10 



Appendices to Seventeenth Annual Report 



A slight deepening of the channel below the fish-pass might result in 

 great advantage in this case ; but if the salmon fishings of the Don are 

 to be preserved it seems to me essential that the mill-owners be required 

 to use less water. 



Xese. I have also visited the district of the river ^jTess. My attention was 



here called to the Dochgarroch weir, which maintains the level of the 

 Caledonian Canal at the north end of Loch Ness, and forms the source 

 of the river Ness. The weir stretches a distance of about 700 feet 

 across the head of the river ; the down-stream face measures 20 feet, and 

 the height of the weir is 5 feet. A broad gap or pass occurs at a very 

 suitable point for the ascent of fish, but, owing to the large, abruptly- 

 projecting stones forming the apron immediately below the pass, the 

 descending water breaks most roughly, and is scattered in foam in such 

 a way as to seriously impede the ascent of salmon. A water gauge exists 

 at the Dochgarroch Lock on the Canal, the daily readings of which, 

 covering a great number of years, were kindly sent to me by the Engi- 

 neer and Superintendent of the Canal. Finding the weir an obstruction 

 to the ascent of fish, except during flooded conditions of the river, I 

 made a special report on the subject, suggesting that in order to obviate 

 the unfortunate condition a barrier parallel to the weir should be erected 

 opposite the mouth of the pass, to check the force of water, and that as 

 far as possible the projecting points of rock should be pinched ofi". This 

 report was approved by the Fishery Board on 27th January of this 

 year, and, at the request of the Ness District Board, was subsequently 

 forwarded to them. 



In the Ness district I also visited Invermoriston. The celebrated 

 salmon pass at the Invermoriston Fall has undergone some modification 

 since it was visited by Mr. Archer in 1892. It now consists of nine 

 steps and a run at the top, but the second and third step, counting 

 from below, need not now be taken by fish owing to a run of water 

 which has broken round them. The high floods to which the river is 

 subject have also moved a rock of several tons weight into the centre of 

 the pass, but this does not in any way injure the chance of fish 

 ascending ; while a two-doored sluice, which has been erected at the 

 upper end, now enables the flow of water in the pass to be regulated. 

 A short distance below the Fall the river becomes sluggish, and at its 

 entrance to Loch Ness the current is unfortunately slight. A partial 

 barrier or large croy might here be of advantage, as suggested with 

 reference to the river Isla, p. 6, ante. Above the Fall the river is 

 very rapid, and but few pools or resting-places for fish seem to exist. 

 The erection of one or two croys at judiciously selected points might 

 greatly improve the fishing. Four miles up stream another serious 

 natural obstruction occurs. Just above a rocky islet the course of the 

 river is narrowed in a rocky gorge. The fall is not of great height, but 

 owing to the concentration of the water the current is excessively 

 strong ; in addition to which, just at the point where the plunge is 

 made, the water splits upon a large rock. Above this point the river 

 for a few miles assumes a sluggish character, as in the river Lyon, but 

 at Torgyle, to which point I drove with Mr. Ewen Grant, a pleasant 

 series of streams again occurs. The Superintendent of the Ness district 

 informed me later that a large number of salmon had penetrated to the 

 upper reaches of the Moristcn, and had there spawned and been killed 

 by local people. 



On a subsequent occasion also I inspected the tidal mouth of the river 

 Ness in connection with certain dredging and building works proposed 

 by the Inverness Harbour Trustees. 

 Beauly. l n the Beauly district, all the fishing rights of which are held by 



Lord Lova' , I first visited the cruives, a description of which will be 



