The
Carron drains some 150 square miles, and is the southernmost of
the Kyle rivers. Its source is only five miles from Loch Broom
on the west coast. It then flows 14 miles, past Deanich Lodge
(almost as remote as you can get in these islands), to the Falls
at Glencalvie. A mile downstream its major tributary, the Blackwater,
comes in from the west, before it descends seven miles through
Strathcarron to its mouth in the lower Kyle opposite Bonar Bridge.
Anyone who tries to
walk the eight miles between Carron Bridge and the Glencalvie
Falls will find themselves passing through unusually varied scenery.
Some stretches of the river meander through flat pastures, others
are confined to rocky gorges, and pine and birch woodlands extend
right down to the river in places. Salmon angling has been taken
seriously on the Carron for more than a century, and over the
years, access to the pools has been improved, and salmon lies
have been enhanced, so even in low water the fishing is maximised.
Falls dominate the Carron system, and anyone thinking of taking a beat needs to understand their influence. On the lower river, half a mile above Carron Bridge, the Gledfield Falls (shared by the Gledfield and Cornhill beats) are a temperature barrier in the early spring, although nowadays less formidable given the trend to milder winters. On the middle river the Moral Falls (shared by Gruinards and Braelangwell) are a more significant obstacle, which fish do not begin to ascend until the water temperature reaches around 40F, and so up until mid to late April spring fishing is concentrated on the beats below. The Glencalvie Falls, some 20 feet high, are in a different league, and only negotiable in certain very low water conditions. Below them the river flows past Amat and Glencalvie Lodges (whose beats enjoy some of the best summer fishing) to the confluence with the river’s main tributary, The Blackwater.
Beats
in ascending order:
Invercharron 1 mile double bank.
Gledfield 1 mile single bank.
Cornhill Over 1 mile single bank.
Dounie 1.5 miles double bank & 0.5 mile single
bank.
Gruinards 4 miles single bank *.
Braelangwell 4 miles single bank *.
Amat 2.5 miles double bank and 2 miles single
bank *.
Glencalvie 1.5 miles single bank *.
* Reciprocal agreements exist between Gruinards and Braelangwell,
and also between Amat and Glencalvie, so that rods do not fish
opposite each other.