THE HABITS OF SALMON 147 



evidence that salmon spawn annually, but there is some 

 evidence pointing to the return of salmon to the sea from 

 the extreme upper waters of our rivers without having 

 spawned since they left the sea. 



In January 1900, with five other infatuated anglers, 

 I took over the whole of the Cree and its tributary the 

 Minnick : both naturally very prolific salmon rivers, but 

 grievously depleted by unmerciful netting within the river, 

 and by whammle and stake nets through the whole length 

 of the Solway Firth. 1 We have removed all draft and haaf 

 nets from the inland and tidal waters ; obtained a lease of 

 two stake nets near the mouth ; put down one of these 

 altogether ; and imposed sixty hours' weekly close-time on 

 the other in place of thirty-six. In consequence, a very 

 considerable number of salmon and grilse had run up to the 

 upper waters by the beginning of July 1900. In one 

 portion of the Minnick, so far into the moors and so small 

 in volume that it is rarely fished, one of our watchers counted 

 1 20 fish, many of them grilse, but many of them also salmon 

 of 7 to i 2 Ibs., which had run up in April and May, and had 

 become dark and discoloured. 



Early in July there was a heavy spate. When it sub- 

 sided, the watcher missed his fish. They had not run up, 

 for in that part of its course the river becomes a mere 

 confluence of burns and becks, where the presence of fish 

 would have been easily detected ; so he set down their 

 disappearance to poachers. There was much rain all July, 

 and a heavy run of grilse. Personally, I was absent that 

 month in Norway, but almost the first thing I happened to 

 hear on my return to the Cree was that the nets in the 

 bay had been taking a number of dark fish which had been 

 " washed out " of the river. Now, it takes a very severe 

 operation to " wash " a salmon out of a river where quarters 

 are to his liking : witness the provoking reluctance of kelts 

 to clear out to sea until they feel quite of the mind to do so. 

 Moreover, the physical character of the channel of the Cree 

 puts it out of the question that these fish from the upper 



1 Happily the whammlers have accepted the judgment of the House of Lords 

 in the case of the Tay hang-nets, and that most destructive form of fishing has 

 been discontinued. 



