168 
THE PISHING GAZETTE 
[March 11, 1893 
^cofc^^ 'globes. 
By Mac. 
Ox the Don, the Deveron, and the Findhorn, 
the three best early treating streams in the North 
of Scotland, there, as yet, has been no appearance 
of fly, and, consequently, no trout have been 
showing. _ 
(iuDGEOXEKS and minnowers are presently to 
commence a raid on the Spey salmon. Already 
the fly-fishers have had their innings, and have 
done precious little. _ 
On Dee and Tay, the practice of selling their 
salmon and so turning their sport to financial 
account, would seem to be extending among 
anglers. This savours of professionalism, and 
by those who do not countenance the practice it 
is looked upon as pure pot-hunting. 
On Ythan and Ugie, since the season opened 
the other week, anglers have been out in great 
force and doing wonders, slaughtering any 
number of the kelt, finnock, and sea-trout, which 
are in such vast plenty in the tidal and lower 
non-tidal lengths. These fish look silvery, and so 
are considered quite clean, but the most of them 
are thin as a razor, and those who kill them and 
eat them have, certainly, a poor idea of sport, 
and of the flavour, taste, and quality of seasonable 
migratory salmonidie. 
So far, the feature of the season on the salmon 
waters of the central Highlands has been the 
(for them) unprecedentedly grand angling, for the 
time of the year, that the River Lyon and the 
lochs of the Trossachs district have yielded. 
This week a fine fish of 251b. weight—the first 
of the season—was killed on the Dalmally Hotel 
water of the River Orchy, by a Glasgow gentle¬ 
man. So to speak, the ice then is broken for 
another year on this nice west Highland salmon 
river. The capture in question must be regarded 
as an uncommonly early commencement of suc¬ 
cessful salmon angling on the Orchy. Few years, 
indeed, is there anything done before the month 
of April. _ 
That famous early salmon stream, the Garry, 
of Loch Ness, so celebrated for its angling for 
very large fish, has, up to date this year, yielded 
very much short of its usual run of sport. 
Salmon have been showing at Awe-mouth and 
running the River Awe lately. Sport, however, 
is not looked for in the Awe until a few more 
weeks have passed, though, doubtless, should 
both Awe and Orchy continue to run high, there 
will be sport obtained on the latter river, from 
the fish being drawn forward up the Awe and 
out of Loch Awe. 
Latest information to hand indicates that no 
salmon have yet been seen in the Lochy, and my 
correspondent informs me that there is no pros¬ 
pect of angling commencing for some weeks to 
come. 
On the Beauly, the Conon, and the Blackwater, 
sport still continues in a rather backward state. 
There are, however, now some indications of fish 
coming more freely forward to the coast-line of 
these rivers. Sport, consequently, may be looked 
for to improve during the next few weeks if only 
good drawing waters prevail during the weekly 
slaps. 
Otk Inverness-shire correspondent writes; 
“ There was a decided improvement in the angling 
on Loch Ness last week, when fish were got by 
anglers out from all the hotels—at Fort Augustus, 
boyers, and Tnvermoriston. The heavy waters 
brought forward a fresh head of fish, and this 
week I fully expect that anglers will do very well. 
Gentlemen from a distance are arriving daily. 
The loch is in good trim, and the wind is in a 
most favourable quarter—coming from the west. 
Loch Oich anglers are nippin’ out fine big salmon 
every day.” 
Ol'r Tay correspondent writes: “ The river 
angling is not up to much, yet it has improved 
since the thaw which came about on Friday last. 
The net fishers say fish have been scarce lately, 
but that a spate brought about by rain would very 
quickly improve matters. There is a flood at 
present with the snow hree, but to-day (Tuesday) 
it is going down. Last week an angler, fishing 
the open water at Perth, had a fish of 71b., which 
weight is very rare for a Tay springer. A whitling 
was killed on the Tummel last week, it is the first 
to be got so far inland this year. Loch Tay, unlike 
the river, has fished splendidly most of the season, 
and it still fishes very well indeed. No scarcity 
of fish, and a fair proportion of them apparently 
fresh run. One of 341b., a perfect model, was 
killed last week. I hear of yellow trout being 
got up the Tummel, but I very much doubt their 
being in good condition as is reported.” 
Lots of anglers have been out on the North 
Esk above the dykes and netting, but as yet one 
solitary clean fish is all that has been secured. 
As 1 have pointed out before, the frightful dykes 
of Craigo and Morphie keep back all the fish, 
to be taken good care of by Mr. James Johnstone’s 
nets. 
Colin Gunn, of the Brora, writes; “ During 
the whole week the angling weather was poor. 
Frost daily, with cold winds from the east. On 
Monday, Mr. Hall had one fish; Mr. Gunnis, not 
out. (Jn Tuesday both rods were blank. On 
Wednesday, Mr. Hall, one fish ; Mr. Gunnis, not 
out. On Thursday, Mr. Gunnis, three fish ; Mr. 
Hall, blank. Friday, Mr. Gunnis, two fish; Mr. 
Hall, two fish. Saturday, Mr. Gunnis, two fish ; 
Mr. Hall, three fish. Thaw set in on Saturday ; 
river now in flood, and good sport is expected 
during the week. The Duke’s netsmen fished 
Loch Brora on Thursday, and made a desperate 
catch of fish. The amiable Professor has not yet 
had a day, but it is quite on the cards that he 
may sally forth soon in alt his war-paint, when 
the various angling Johnnies up the river will be 
getting a lesson in salmon-catching.” 
On Tuesday a gentleman had four fish on 
Loch Tay, which averaged 20jlb.; two of them 
he had on at one time. 
A EEW fish are now being got on the Tweed, the 
Teviot, the Annan, and other South of Scotland 
and Solway district rivers. 
On the Tummel, the other day. Lady Georgina 
Home Drummond caught a fine fish of 18|lb. 
There must be some punning, for I saw in a 
paper the other day that a swan had just caught 
a salmon in Loch Awe. 
The net salmon fishing in Scotland, this year, 
is far behind that of last year for the same 
period. Distressful weather at sea has dam¬ 
aged and wrecked much plant. Altogether, 
since the season opened, conditions have been 
wretchedly bad for the netters. But within the 
past two or three days a really wonderful improve¬ 
ment has taken place. Fish in vast quantities 
have been got about the mouths of various rivers. 
Of these the quality, generally, has been ex¬ 
ceptional, and good numbers been of extra large 
size for the time of the season. 
Mr. MacDonald, of the Grant Arms, Grantown, 
writes me: “ I have now secured a portion of 
the Castle Grant salmon fishings on the Spey 
from the Countess of Seafield, and so, at last, 
am in a position to offer my sporting guests 
salmon angling. Although the public have not 
secured the right to fish on the Spey, it is satis¬ 
factory to know that here, at any rate, the land¬ 
lord’s right will not be enforced except in the 
case of poachers. The salmon angling on the 
water I have rented will be best during April 
and May.” _ 
The best killing and most popular flies on Dee 
and Spey this season, so far, have been: Gordon, 
Dunt, Whitewing, Gray Heron, and Purple King. 
But of course anglers have done well with many 
others, especially on the Dee. 
This year there appears to be an unusual 
scarcity (to infer from the takes) of large winter 
fish in the Naver and Helmsdale. Those fish 
usually begin the angling season. On the Thurso 
more have been got than on either the Helms¬ 
dale or the Naver. The latter river continues to 
give fully better than average early season re¬ 
sults, but the sport on the former is not nearly 
so good as the rods fishing it could wish. 
I MARK that in his last week’s river report our 
Helmsdale correspondent, who is seldom without 
something new to trot out, speaks of nothing 
having been done by haul angling. What, in the 
name of wonder, can this be ? Has it any refer¬ 
ence to anglers hauling nets through the pools of 
the Helmsdale river ? 
I notice in the Perthshire Constitutional, that, 
“ by invitation. Captain W. S. Ferguson, Pictston- 
hill, and Mr. Pople fished Colonel Stewart 
Sandeman’s water on Saturday, at Stanley. 
They landed two beautiful salmon at the ‘ Dun¬ 
geon ’ and ‘ Horsey,’ weighing 801b. and 351b. 
There was some ‘ horse ’ play on the part of the 
35-pounder. It landed the fisherman on his back 
in the boat before it was safely knocked on the 
head by the head boatman, John.” It is not 
hinted that there was any strong water going. 
A NORTH coast sporting friend writes me ;—“ I 
don’t hear that old Red Night-cap or Lang Sandy 
o’ the Blues has been out, but despite the frequent 
visits and the skilful playing of the great Halla- 
dale eagle by mine genial and popular host of the 
Forsinard Hotel, Mr. George Murray, the 
Halladale, as yet, has yielded but one salmon. 
But something ought to be done on Monday. 
A spate is now on, and high tides, which are in 
favour of fish running, should make matters 
right for thp celebrated Strath Halladale rods, 
who are sick and tired of the hitherto sorry state 
of affairs this year. The weather has been very 
rough lately. The Forss nets are fished nearer to 
the river mouth than what they ought to be, and 
so do much to hurt the angling. But Smith’s, 
the lessee, time is up in August, when I expect 
Mr. Arkwright, the sporting tenant, will lease 
the netting rights, and work the fishery very 
largely for the benefit cf the angling.” 
Our Deeside correspondent writes : “ Sir 
William Cunliff Brooks, Bart., goes to the 
World’s Fair. To be in at the opening he leaves 
next month, and accordingly has determined 
upon letting the Forest waters for April and 
May. In fact, Mr. Barry, jun., of Keiss, has 
already secured the greater portion of them— 
the reaches above the bridge of Dinnet—for the 
two months. This is, without doubt, one of the 
finest bits of salmon water in the kingdom. The 
Culter water on the Dee, and the Grandholm 
water on the Don, are now at the command of 
guests from the Imperial Hotel, Aberdeen. A 
fine salmon of 381b. was got at the harbour 
mouth, Aberdeen, on Saturday. ‘ Gudgeoners ’ 
cannot get their favourite (sic) lure large enough. 
There has been an epidemic raging, and the 
bigger boys have all gone over to the majority ; 
so ‘ dace ’ are now being brought north, and are 
said to worli admirably. I have made strict in¬ 
quiries all over the Dee this season, in collecting 
my reports and otherwise, as to the killing lure. 
For every half-dozen fish killed up to date, four 
have been to the fiy, and two to the Phantom, 
gudgeon, or minnow. This is usually the case in 
the very early months, but probably, by the 
end of March and all through April, the 
case may be otherwise. When the local snow- 
broth has spent itself, the “ March Brown ” will 
likely be on. There were few “ feeding” days 
last year. With the first advent of the fly, trout, 
salmon, and kelt from below make the pools boil 
far and near. Yet, till night-fall, sport is seldom 
had. Then a flight of sexual “ March Browns ” 
worked round the eddies is a sure killer. The 
Deeside Hatchery is now in grand working 
order. The superintendent has, in addition to 
his stock of salmon in embryo, 2000 fine Loch 
Leven fry, three weeks old, which he has hatched 
out with only a loss of about one per cent. A 
sportsman (P) who pays the lump sum of £'3o0 
for his section on the Dee, has been rubbing his 
hands with glee over the enhanced price realised 
