128 SALMONID^ OF BRITAIN. 



the time of eating, tlie heart of the fish lies upon a plate in view, and keeps in 

 a panting motion all the while, which to strangers is a great rarity. The cruives 

 above the salmon leap (which is a steep slope, composed of large loose stones) are 

 made into many divisions by loose walls, and have about 3 or 4 feet of water. 

 These render such a number of fish as they contain an agreeable sight, being 

 therein confined, to be ready at any time for the barrel or the table " (p. 248). The 

 assessable value of the fishings in 1876-77 was £3069. lis. The second river is 

 the Beaiihj* much prized as an excellent angling river. Mudie observed having 



breach was made in this dam, and when Mr. Young inspected the river above this obstruction in 

 January, 1882, prior to the breach having been repaired, he found that it was full of fish. In 

 fact, this wide and deep gap in Craigo Dike had restored the Esk to its natural condition, and 

 perruitted the fish to distribute themselves throughout the entire length of the river, instead of 

 their ascent being arrested by this dam. This erection had been greatly increased in height in 

 1847-48, since which period the only two good years the upper proprietors have experienced were 

 1877 and 1881, in each of which it was breached. About 1875 the Fishery Board gained a law-suit 

 against the proprietor of this obstruction, and a ladder was ordered to be put in, but it seems that 

 it was erected in the wrong place. Now many fish heavy in spawn are said to be unable to ascend, 

 and consequently drop their ova below this obstruction, where they are lost. This river for its 

 size is an excellent one for salmon, the produce in 1870 having been computed to vary from 25,000 

 to 30,000, while the rental in 1837 was £3591 along with the coast fishing, and 1882-83 the river 

 fishings let at £5624. Until the nets are off there is scarcely any angling in the upper waters, 

 but from September 1st to October 31st the rod fishing is excellent. The number of bag and fly- 

 nets in Montrose Bay, from Eockhall to the mouth of the South Esk, in 1883, were as follows :— 

 Bag-nets, 74 ; fly-nets, 45, and this in six miles. These nets are on either side of the North 

 Esk, beginning at 400 yards from a centre, fixed mid-channel in the river where it joins the sea at 

 low-wat1>r mark. The best fishing is on the north side, and the net, which is just without the 

 400-yard limit, consists, in the height of the fishing season, of three flies and nine bags, combined 

 in the same fixed engine. 



The Dee issues from the " Wells of Dee " on the brow of Ben Macdhive 4060 ft. above the level 

 of the sea, and after a course of about 90 miles, and with a drainage of 900 square miles it falls into 

 the German Ocean at Aberdeen where its estuary (which contains a bag-net) has been included 

 within the extension of the harbour works. The extent of coast fishing within this district of 

 about 18 miles had, in 1883, an average number of 102 bag-nets, of which 91 are to the south 

 of its mouth, and 11 to the north or between it and mouth of the Don, which is withm 2 miles. 

 There are also 6 stake or fiy-nets to the north of the Dee; the average length of the leaders to the 

 stake-net being 80 yards. In the strip of sandy shore 5500 ft. long, and situated to the north 

 of the Dee there were 4 stake-nets and 2 bag-nets in 1836 ; but now there exist 11 bag and 6 fly 

 or stake-nets. The assessable rental of this river in 1876 was £8897, and in 1884 £9931, of which 

 £6201 belong to the lower fishings, including the sea coast, and £3730 to the upper river fishings. 

 Stoddart, in 1847, calculated that the quantity of fish captured on an average season at 20,000 

 salmon and 40,000 grilses, which included those taken by stake-nets, and at the mouth of the 

 river on the adjacent beach. While between 1813 and 1824 he calculated that the annual take 

 was 52,862 salmon and grilse on the Dee, and 40,677 on the Don. Since then an artificial barrier 

 had been raised. The Don, whose mouth is within 2 miles of that of the Dee, had an 

 assessable value, in 1876, of £3361. Os 8d. , „^ ., -, ■, 



The Deveron is a late river for the East coast, it has a course of 60 miles and has numerous 

 fixed engines near its mouth ; the assessable rental is £2566, the average annual capture by rod is 

 about 300 salmon. „,„„„ i ■, •, 



The SjH'i) in 1775 rented, according to Pennant, for £1200 per annum and _ produced 

 1700 barrels "of fish during the season. It is the most rapid of the larger Scottish rivers, has 

 a course of 120 miles and drains upwards of 1000 square miles of country. In 1803 or 1804, it is 

 said to have let for £6000 a year. The rental of the district which was £6859 in 1863-64, 

 gradually rose to £11,332 in 1875-76, since which period it has steadily diminished until 1882-3 

 it had come down to £8482. This is said to be partly owing to increased fixed nets. _ 



In 1860 the following were stated to have been the annual captures m this river for the 

 preceding nine years. 1851, 6515 salmon, 33,285 grilse ; 1852, 10,980 salmon, 46,041 grilse ; 

 1853 15 772 salmon, 58,166 grilse; 1854, 29,780 salmon, 36,148 grilse; 1855, 13,194 salmon, 

 48,740 grilse; 1856, 14,103 salmon, 27,528 grilse; 1857, 13,466 salmon, 54,949 grilse; 1858, 

 30,840 slilmon, 35,409 grilse ; 1859, 23,608 salmon, 17,263 grilse. 



There are other good fishing rivers on the East coast of Scotland, but space precludes alluding to 

 all. Mr. Young considered in 1883 that it was " not an extravagant estimate to put the total value 

 of the salmon'^caught in the East coast rivers above described, and on the sea coast, at £120,000 

 a year- and the number of men employed in net-fishing, and in watching the rivers, at 2000. The 

 gross annual value of the salmon caught in the districts of the Tay and Spey alone cannot be 

 much under £70,000." . , . . ,. .^ , . , , . , . , 



* The average takes of salmon, grilse, and trout in this river divided into septennial periods, 

 and ending in 1869, were as follows : — ., _ _ 



7 vears ending 1815, annual average salmon 3237, grilse 5525 



1862 „ „ ,. 950, „ 3293, trout 284 



',', ',', ,', 1869 „ „ „ 1304, „ 4261, „ 350 



