25 



Irthing, a fine spawning river, comes in at Warwick Hall. It is not so much CARLISLE. 



frequented by fish as the main river, except at certain seasons. 



The latter part of 1877 was exceptionally dry : the early part was a favour- 

 able season for agriculture — not particularly wet. The spawning season was 

 dry, and there were no traces of disease. In March 18/8 various persons stated 

 they had seen diseased fish, and the water bailiffs saw them jumping up and 

 rushing across the river. The fish seemed in great pain, and tried to relieve 

 themselves. The bailiffs had never seen anything similar before. It must 

 have been observed if it had occurred during the previous nine or ten years of 

 watching. The majority were clean fish. A few were kelts. (Hands in a 

 report from Inspector Nicholson on the number of dead salmon buried.) 



" Constabulary Station, Eden Town, 

 " Sib, 27th September 1879. 



" I have the honour to report to you that the numbers of diseased 

 " fish buried by the water-bailiffs since the appearance of the fungoid disease 

 " are : — 



" Between March 1878 October 1878 - - - 1,700 



" Since October 1878, and up to this date - - 398 



Total - - 2,098 



" The greater part were heavy salmon, and were taken out of the river by 

 " means of drags which you directed the bailiffs should be supplied with for 

 " the purpose. 



" In addition to the above number, a great many diseased fish were taken 

 " from the river by the fishermen at the fisheries between Warwick and 

 " Rockcliffe, which were also carefully buried. The disease has now almost 

 " entirely disappeared ; neither I nor any of my men have been able to find. 

 " more than four since the beginning of July last, which were fresh-water 

 " trout, and were found in the Eden near Irthing Foot. 



" Close Season, 1877-8. 



" The spawning season of 1877-8 was an open season; no frost in the 

 " winter or in the spring ; and the largest number of breeding fish were seen 

 " on the spawning beds during the last eight years (with the exception of 

 " 1874). It was also discovered at the beginning of the fishing season that 

 " large numbers of clean salmon had also ascended, and were in the river 

 " between Carlisle and Armathwaite ; and early in March it was discovered 

 " that a destructive disease had broken out among the fish in the district 

 " between Armathwaite and the tidal waters of the Solway ; and before the 

 " beginning of October the water-bailiffs had taken from the river and buried 

 " a total of 1,700 fish, over 1,000 of them being clean fish. The disease was 

 " most virulent during th.3 month of March and up to the 20th of April, and 

 " between these dates scarcely a salmon was to be seen in the river between 

 " Carlisle and Armathwaite free from the disease, but a flood being at that time 

 " in the river large numbers of salmon were carried down to the sea. A good 

 " many were caught in the nets at the lower fisheries, and also in the tidal 

 " waters of the Solway, badly diseased. From the beginning of May to the 

 " end of September the disease gradually disappeared, but a few sea trout, 

 " brandlings, grey trout, eels, flounders, and other coarse fresh -water fish were 

 " seen affected with the disease, and dead ones occasionally got out of the 

 " river, which were also carefully buried by the bailiffs. The largest numbers 

 " of diseased and dead fish were seen and found in the river between Cargo 

 " and Corby Castle, a distance of about 14 miles by the river. The tributaries 

 " were free from the disease throughout the whole district. 



" Close Season, 1878-9. 



" Early in September 1878, in consequence of high floods, a large number 

 " of fish ascended the river and passed over Armathwaite Bay, to the upper 

 " district, and commenced spawning in the latter end of November in the 

 " rivers Eden, Eamont, and Lowther, and the spawning beds being regularly 

 " examined, only an odd fish was seen to be affected with the disease, and 



