144 ABSTRACT OF EVIDENCE 



used when the fry are coming down the rivers ; 

 more salmon killed last winter in the Solway frith by 

 poachers with small mesh nets in close time, than by 

 the lawful fishers ; destruction of the fish in close 

 time the ruin of the fisheries ; weirs in the tide-way 

 very destructive ; made by driving stakes and wat- 

 tling them ; stake-nets should not be put in rivers, 

 or half a mile of the mouth of a river ; but weirs 

 destroy the fry ; the close time cannot be observed 

 whilst such weirs continue ; no opening left in the 

 weirs for the fish to pass ; if weirs were to be pro- 

 perly regulated it would be a great improvement ; 



NOTES. 



There are no finer rivers for salmon in England, than 

 those on the south coast of Devon; namely, the Tamar, the 

 Plym, the Anne, the Avon, Dart, Teign, and Exe. I 

 do not know much of the large river on the north coast 

 which runs up to Barnstaple and Bideford, though there 

 is little doubt but it is as favourable as the others ; nor of 

 the Exe, which I have been told is much injured by the 

 various manufactories at Exeter and Tiverton. 



As small rivers are best to breed in, it follows of course 

 that they must be protected, or every fish must fall by the 

 spear. The men call the spearing time their harvest. 



It is very true that close time cannot be observed whilst 

 weirs continue ; but weirs might be so contrived as to al- 

 low the fish passage up and down. 



People who are interested in salmon do not wish even 

 that a single fry should be taken. This ridiculous "rail- 

 ing accusation" against the innocent, gentlemanly recre- 

 ation of angling, is carrying the point too far, and makes 

 one blush for the selfishness of those who urge it. 



