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are in the best condition. Could not say if the fish referred m to had been up EDINBURGH, 

 the river. 



The burial of dead fish has tended, he thinks, to prevent disease. Dead 

 fish should be taken out of all rivers, but diseased fish would recover. Floods 

 would carry them down to the sea. 



The sewage of Stirling and pollutions from many works go into the Forth. 



The Teith is the only clear river of all the tributaries of the Forth. The Devon 



is; a little better than formerly as regards the Dollar sewage, but the refuse 



from factories is very bad. The Devon is a beautiful spawning river naturally. 



Craig-forth cruive stops the fish in the open season. 



It is used as a cruive, and is very deadly. 



Would be satisfied if netting went on to 6th or 8th September, not later. 

 Would be satisfied to go on to 5th September. The breeding season should 

 not be interfered with.. Thinks the Tay and Forth are both well stocked. 



The Tay is earlier than the Forth by eight or ten clays. Would continue the 

 fishing season on the Tay in proportion to that on the Forth. The run of fish 

 up the Forth before 5th September are in good condition till the end of 

 October, and spawn at the end of November, December, and even to January. 

 The early fish are also spawning fish. Thinks the late fish in November 

 might keep up the stock of fish alone. 



The kelts are down by the end of March, or later in dry weather. 

 Hundreds of dead males, mostly unspawned, are found every year. Has 

 seen them all spotted and scabbed, but has seen nothing like the specimens of 

 fungousy fish produced. It is their nature to be scabby. They are thin and 

 lean. Has seen no vegetable growth on them in either the Tay or the Forth. 



When he was on the Tay he buried all the dead fish. Cannot say if it is 

 done now. 

 A feeling prevails in favour of extending the open season. 

 Many dead fish are found in the Teith. They float down the Forth. 

 There are few spawning beds in the Forth. 



A few fish do go up to Loch Ard. Glasgow obtains its water from Loch 

 Katrine ; below it are Loch Achray and Loch Vennachar. Compensation water 

 is supplied to the Teith from Loch Vennachar. A current always'runs down the 

 Teith every day. When only the compensation water comes down, the Teith 

 is very low. There is not sufficient water to carry down the kelts. 



The river was generally in flood last spring. The pools are crowded with 

 kelts in dry weather in January, February, and March. 



Cannot say why the Teith and Forth are free from disease. 

 The compensation water coming down the Teith is very small, and cannot 

 affect the fish. It lasts all the 24 hours. The lakes overflow in wet weather, 

 and act as reservoirs. The floods would run off much quicker without the 

 lakes. The lakes help to keep up the river at a higher average level. 

 The land drains into the Teith, Allan, and Forth. 



There are no pollutions in the Upper Teith. They commence at Stirling. 

 Smolts are often killed by pollution. 

 The Tay and tributaries are very pure. 

 Forth salmon get into Loch Vennachar. 



Joseph Bisset. — Lives at Stirling. Has been employed in salmon 

 fishing for 38 years. Has had the management of different salmon fishing 

 stations for 26 years, and has been one of the lessees of the town of Stirling's 

 salmon fishings in the Forth for the last five years. 



Has seen very little of the disease into which the inquiry is being held. Did 

 see a few kelts so affected about the end of April this season. Only a few ; 

 not more than half a dozen. Is unable to suggest a satisfactory cause for the 

 disease, but thinks it more than likely that the very severe winter had some- 

 thing to do with it. The frost dried up the rivers to a great extent. Has no 

 doubt this was unfavourable to the health of the fish, there being so many in 

 the rivers at the time. 



His opinion is, that in many of our rivers the net fishing is too early closed, 

 consequently an overstock offish ascend, with a preponderance of males, and 

 the result is that many hundreds die, principally male fish. This is a great 

 loss to the proprietors and tacksmen of salmon fishings and to the public. 

 Believes that it would be right to kill the fish when they are in good condition 

 for human food, and there will always be enough left for breeding purposes. 



