30 



Appendices to Seventh Annual Report 



time and money. As long as tho physical characteristics of the river, 

 proposed to be converted from a late into an early salmon river, and of 

 the sea at its mouth remain unchanged, the mere introduction into a late 

 river of fish taken from an early river will have no effect. The river will 

 modify the habits of the fish ; but the fish will never change the character 

 of the river. 



The Grudie has a course of about 15 miles from its mountain source, 

 1500 feet above the sea, to the Kyle of Durness. There are some good 

 pools below the bridge on the high road on the way to Riconich, which 

 the fish frequent in the earlier part of the season. But after May, they 

 leave these pools and ascend to the higher portions of the stream between 

 the bridge and Loch Dionard. 



After leaving Durness, I drove to Riconich Inn at the head of Loch 

 Inchard, about 15 miles south of Cape Wrath. 



The River Inchard and Adjacent Lochs. — The river Inchard, a brawling 

 rocky stream, little more than a large burn, falls into the head of the 

 loch close to the inn. It has a course of a couple of miles and drains 

 Loch Garbetbeg and Loch Garbctmore ; the former of which frequently 

 affords good salmon fishing late in the season. A large burn with water- 

 falls which prevent the ascent of salmon, connects Loch Garbetbeg 

 with a series of lochs which stretch all along the west side of Foinaven 

 to the foot of Arkle, one of the Stack Deer Forest mountains. Boats 

 have now been placed on three of these lochs and the fishing for yellow 

 trout is occasionally very good. 



Statistics of Angling at Riconich, — It was the middle of July when I 

 was at Riconich ; but, owing to the dryness of the season, scarcely any 

 salmon had ascended to Loch Garbetbeg. Up till 19th July, only 2 

 salmon and 6 sea-trout had been captured. But to make up for this, 

 more yellow trout had been taken than during the whole of tho season 

 of 1887; between 1700 and 1800 having been caught. The following 

 were the best takes I heard of during 1888 : — On the 19th June two 

 gentlemen captured on Loch No. 3 — the best of the Foinaven lochs — 120 

 trout weighing 26 lbs.; on the 21st, three gentlemen, in the same loch, 

 had 103; and, on the 28th, two gentlemen had 144, weighing 36 lbs. 



From the Anglers' Diary kept at Riconich I take the following returns 

 for 1887 :— 



31 salmon, . . . . 208 J lbs. 



17 grilse, 77i „ 



549 sea-trout, .... 477 J „ 

 1076 yellow trout, .... 376} „ 



Achriesgill Burn. — A considerable stream called the Achriesgill Burn 

 falls into the north side of Loch Inchard a little more than a mile from 

 Riconich. Just where it joins the loch, there is a wide, deep pool, 

 where, after a flood, I should think there would be a good chance of 

 getting sea-trout in July and August. But about half-a-mile above 

 this there is a waterfall 12 or 13 feet in height, though somewhat 

 broken and sloping, which at present effectually prevents the ascent of 

 salmon and sea-trout. On the left bank of the stream, however, there 

 is a sort of natural salmon-ladder, which by a little judicious blasting 

 and the forming of a couple of resting-pools, would afford a practicable 

 passage for the migratory salmonida3. Or a subsidiary dam might be 

 formed about 60 yards below the main fall at a point where a perpen- 

 dicular rock 10 or 12 feet high projects above the left bank. Four, 

 or four and a half feet, would bo quite sufficient height for this sub- 

 sidiary dam. Both salmon and sea-trout have been killed in the pool 



