VALUE OF TWEED FISHINGS 63 



"There are two kinds of creatures that I am 

 well acquainted with, — the one a land animal, the 

 other a water one : the red deer, and the salmon. 

 In October the deer ruts, and the salmon spawns. 

 The deer begins soonest, high up amongst the 

 hills, particularly in frosty weather ; so does the 

 salmon begin to spawn earlier in frosty weather 

 than in soft. The master hart would keep all the 

 other harts from the hind, if he could ; and the 

 male salmon would keep all the other males from 

 the female, if he was able." 



The gross rental of the salmon fishings in Tweed 

 is very considerable ; but has varied very much in 

 amount from time to time, according to the plenty 

 or scarcity of fish. Mr. John Wilson * states, that 

 during the seven years previous to 1824 it averaged 

 12,000/. a year ; but in that year only about 10,000/. 

 With the present rental I am unacquainted. 



" The fishings, as regards their relative value, 

 may be divided into the following classes : — The 

 first comprehends the short distance from the 

 mouth of the river to Berwick Bridge, where alone 

 there are probably a greater number of salmon 

 captured than in all the remainder of the river. 

 From Berwick Bridge to Norham, to which place 

 the tide reaches, may be considered the second 

 class : as far as this place the net and coble only 

 are in use. From Norham to Coldstream Bridge 

 the fishings are of still less value ; and here, besides 

 the net and coble, the various modes of fishing 

 practised in the upper parts of the river are also in 

 use — rod fishing, setting, leistering, cairn, hanging, 



1 Minutes of Evidence, &c. in 1824, p. 9. 



