of the Fishery Board for Scotland 
43 
' who shall use any illegal engine or illegal mode of fishing for catching 
' salmon within the district, or who shall contravene or fail to observe any 
' hije4aw.' 
I have received between thirty aud forty answers to the printed queries Answers from 
from hotelkeepers having salmon and trout, or both kinds ©f lishings, hotelkeepers 
attached to their hotels. One noticeable feature of these answers is that ! iavin ^ t lls J i "j 
nearly all the hotelkeepers are in favour of an annual close time for trout, Jjo^their ° 16 
though they are not agreed as to the time over which it should extend, hotels. 
Several are in favour of both a gauge and a close time. The gauge 
recommended varies from 6 to 9 inches. In a good many cases a gauge 
is already enforced, and no trout under a certain size is allowed to be 
basketed. Several answers are from the happy fishing grounds of 
Sutherland. At the head of these may be placed those from Altnakeal- Altnakeal- 
gach Hotel on Loch Borrolan. In 1890, 22,000 trout weighing 7151 gach 
lbs. were captured by the gentlemen fishing from this hotel — the heaviest 
trout weighing 9^ lbs. ; and, in 1891, 15,600 were caught weighing 4921 
lbs. — heaviest trout 8 lbs. Or, in the two years, 37,600 trout weighing 
12,072 lbs. There are four fine sheets of water within easy reach of 
Altnakealgach Hotel — Loch Borrolan, Loch Urigill, Cama Loch, and 
Loch Veattie. None but yellow trout can reach any of these, as the 
Falls on the Kirkaig are quite impassable. The hotelkeeper states that 
the trout are decreasing, owing to the lochs being overfished. I think 
this is highly probable, as there is no Hatchery in the district, and 
nothing is done by artificial stocking to supply and compensate the great 
destruction of trout. The best months for these lochs are June, July, 
and August. 
From Forsinard hotel, near the upper part of the Halladale Kiver, 23 Forsinard 
salmon, weighing 177 lbs., were caught in 1891, 7 sea-trout, weighing Hotel, Suttaer. 
18 lbs., and 2730 yellow trout, weighing 1092 lbs. ; the heaviest salmon landshire. 
was 18 lbs., heaviest sea-trout 3 lbs., and heaviest yellow trout 7 lbs. 
May, June, July, and August are the best months. The lochs in the 
neighbourhood have been stocked with Loch Leven fry from the Brora 
Hatchery. An annual close time for trout is suggested from 1st October 
to 1st March, and a gauge of 7 inches. 
The salmon in the River Shin are stated to have been more plentiful Sutherland 
in 1891, owing to the river having been in good condition, and net-fishing Arms Hotel, 
having been abolished at the mouth. Yellow trout have diminished for 
the last few years, owing to the overfishing of the lochs. From 1st July to 
10th August, 52 salmon were caught; and from beginning of June to end 
of September, 2000 yellow trout, averaging half-a-pound each. The 
heaviest salmon was 20 lbs., and the heaviest trout 3| lbs. July and 
August are the best months for salmon and grilse ; and June, July, and 
August for yellow trout. 
It is stated that the salmon, sea-trout, &c, in the waters near this hotel, Oykell Bridg< 
have been increasing for some years. 150 salmon and grilse were killed Hotel, 
in 1891. Heaviest salmon was 22 lbs., and sea-trout 2 J lbs. The 
yellow trout average 4 to the pound. 
There is not much yellow trout fishing attached to Durness hotel. Durness 
In Loch Craspuil, half-a-mile from the hotel, there are beautiful Hotel - 
silvery trout like land-locked sea-trout. They are very shy, and tender in 
the mouth. The best basket made in 1891 was 12 trout, weighing 
10 lbs. — heaviest trout 2^ lbs. By far the best fishing at Durness 
is trolling for sea-trout in the salt water of the Kyle of Durness. The 
best basket made in this way in 1891 was 35 sea-trout, weighing 67 lbs. 
S. F. a 
