of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



7 



By an arrangement at present being carried out in the interests of the 

 estate, the east side of the island is now being opened up by the making 

 of a driving road, and the building of at least one house for the residence 

 of anglers. Since this part of the island has never been reported upon, T 

 took occasion during the first week of July to inspect the whole of it ; and 

 I also visited Obe, and the streams of the west side. Having learned 

 that Mr. Gifford of Messrs. Mackenzie & Black, agents for the proprietor, 

 Lord Dunmore, also intended visiting the island, I arranged that my 

 inspection should occur at the same time, and I desire to express here my 

 thanks to Mr. Gifford and to the two factors of the estate for much kind- 

 ness in facilitating ray inspections. But for those gentlemen it would 

 have been impossible for me to have seen as much as I did. The number 

 of crofters on the east side is surprising, and the congestion is now being 

 relieved by the creation of settlements on the islands of Berneray and 

 Taransay, and at IS'orthtown on the west side. On viewing the many 

 rocky inlets and streams in the neighbourhood of the old crofter 

 clachans it is evident that sea trout fishing has been carried on by the 

 crofters for a long period. The old Highland custom of building yairs or 

 carries has been adapted for the capture of salmonidae in the narrow estuaries. 

 In the unfrequented eastern part of the island the practice has never been 

 interfered with. The sea trout are very numerous and are taken 

 apparently for purposes of immediate food supply rather than for 

 purposes of sale. One or it may be two low walls of loose stone are built 

 directly across the upper end of a creek into which a stream flows. As 

 the tide rises these walls are covered, and the shoals of sea trout ascend 

 towards the fresh water. When the tide begins to ebb a pool is formed, 

 but owing to the open nature of the stone barriers the water still 

 percolates away, while the fish are retained. The floor of the pool or 

 pools is at length left dry, and the fish are gathered. In one or two 

 instances where a constriction of a creek occurs at a convenient spot, and 

 where a rough dyke would not easily withstand the strength of the 

 current which is naturally created, large rocks resembling huge stepping- 

 stones are arranged— these, indeed, form convenient crossing places and are 

 largely so used. This form of obstruction may be regarded as a primitive 

 cruive, and by means of a small net is no doubt made to serve the purpose 

 of a cruive. 



Of the many lochs and streams visited I propose here to refer ])rinci- 

 pally to those which with some modification of outlet might, in my 

 opinion, be rendered of greater value. 



Loch-na-Cro. — There are five lochs in a chain of which Loch-na-Cro is 

 the chief. The outlet falls into the sea at Loch Seadabay. At the point 

 where the stream reaches the sea in a narrow creek, there is a fall which 

 I estimated as between 9 and 10 feet in height. There are only two 

 more formidable falls in South Harris. The tide flows up to the foot of 

 the fall so that sea trout can, when the tide is high, swim directly under 

 the fall. There is, however, not sufiicient " take off " for any but the 

 strongest fish to accomplish the leap over the lowest and most perpen- 

 dicular portion. To secure a better take off, it seems necessary that a 

 dam dyke about three feet high be thrown across the narrow gorge at a 

 point where the length of the dam would be about 15 feet. This dam 

 dyke might have in it a U-shaped gap about a foot deep for the purpose 

 of concentrating the waterflow and giving fish a suitable entrance to the 

 pool which would thus be formed, the level of which would to some 

 extent flush, and therefore reduce the height of, the fall. The centre of 

 the fall has at present a number of loose blocks of stone jammed upon it 

 which should be removed. The highest portion or sloping crest of the 

 fall might then with advantage be blasted off, and the bed rock deepened 



