44 The Atlantic Salmon 



the best angling on the river, and has been 

 very largely occupied, with other riparian owners 

 and lessees, in vainly tiying to induce the 

 provincial and Dominion government and offi- 

 cials to enforce the laws they have made relat- 

 ing to the protection of the persecuted salmon. 

 Under the guise of carrying on a government 

 hatchery at the Tideway, the officials in charge 

 have for years entirely closed one channel of the 

 river with a net, and arranged another with a 

 wing from the farther shore, which practically 

 prevents fish from ascending a second channel. 

 The nets held under government licenses are 

 nearly all extended farther into the channel 

 than is legal, the regulation being that only one- 

 third of it may be covered with them, and these 

 are very often not lifted, as provided by law, 

 from Saturday night to Monday morning. The 

 river under this condition of mismanagement is 

 deteriorating, and doubtless would now be 

 substantially worthless but for the very large 

 sums annually expended by the riparian owners 

 in guardianship. 



If the laws were enforced on this magnificent 

 river, it could, undoubtedly, be made in five 

 years to produce, for a considerably smaller 



