Loch Awe And River

This celebrated lake, on the western side of Scotland, may be
conveniently reached from Glasgow. There are steam boats sail two or
three times a week up Loch Fine to Inverary, where there can be every
information gained respecting conveyances to the inn at Loch Awe, where
boats and men are to be had. It is a long and narrow lake in places, and
in summer most cheering and pleasant to the fly fishers resorting there.
Good angling may be found in the river running by Glenorchy into the
lake, where it again issues out of it, and is called the River Awe.

It runs with a full and rapid stream, has but a short course, falling
into the salt water lake, or estuary, called "Etive," opposite the
island of Mull.

There could be no better river or lake in the kingdom for salmon, were
it not for the "cruives," that, of course, "weed them all away," the
proprietor of which is most obliging to grant permission to gentlemen
anglers who visit it. The purity of these waters facilitates the
propagation of the salmon wonderfully, were they allowed ingress and
egress. When the fishing laws are altered, and a reformation made, there
will be grand fly fishing, as good as can be found in Norway. In the
neighbourhood of good salmon and trout fishing rivers, the people, whom
the anglers employ, are very much benefited, and particularly
innkeepers, on their banks, and in towns where there is not much
traffic. The angler's heart is "in fishing" wherever he goes.

The salmon and trout flies to suit Loch Awe and river (my memoranda are
generally correct).

No. 1. An original and most killing fly for salmon:--Body black ostrich
harl, ribbed with gold, a tag of yellow mohair at the tail, tail a very
short topping, a rich black-red hackle rolled over the black sparingly,
and a mallard wing, made to stand well up and apart. Hook BB, or No. 9.
C for lake trout.

No. 2. A brown body, black hackle ribbed with gold, and grouse wings.
Hook CC.

No. 3. Bronze peacock body, ribbed with gold twist, black-red cock's
hackle, and dark brown grouse rump feather mixed with turkey tail for
wings. Hook BB. C for trout in the lake.

No. 4. A cinnamon fly, with glede wings mixed with jungle cock, and
ribbed with gold. B hook. No. 9 for the river.

No. 5. A black body, silver tinsel, black hackle, full teal wings,
yellow head, and tail. Hook B.

No. 6. A dark green fly ribbed with gold, silver pheasant tail mixed
with mallard for wings, a small topping in tail, and orange head. Hook
BB, or C.

A blue fly with teal wings and blue hackle ribbed with silver, topping
in the tail, and red head of mohair, hook B, or BB; and a fly with
peacock harl body, black hackle, hen pheasant tail wings mixed, and the
tail of the cock bird. Hook B, or C for trout.

The large trout flies in my list for the season are excellent ones for
the lake, and Nos. 3, 4, 5, and 11, for salmon.

There is good salmon fishing to be had in Islay, south of Mull. The
steam boat from Glasgow calls there twice a week. Mr. Campbell, the
laird, resides in the island, who gives permission, unhesitatingly, to
gentlemen making application to him.

The river is at the landing place of the steamer; the salmon, which are
numerous in it, take small gaudy flies--blue body and hackle, brown,
claret, red, black, and green flies.

There is also salmon fishing to be had in "Jura Isle," a little to the
north of Islay.





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Previous: The River Allan

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