82 THE LIFE OF THE SALMON 



rivers in which they were marked represent only 

 8|- per cent. It is remarkable in this connection 

 that although a great number of fish have been 

 marked in the Tay (of which eighty-six have been 

 recaptured), no Tay fish has been recaptured either 

 in another river or in coast nets. The great volume 

 of water — reputed the largest in the British Islands 

 — may make itself felt for avery considerable distance 

 seawards, and so give a guide to Tay fish in the sea. 

 Certainly to any one who has sailed much off the 

 coasts of Fife and Forfar the influence of the Tay 

 when swollen and discoloured by flood is very clearly 

 seen, stretching as it often does in a great belt of 

 discoloured brackish water in a southerly and easterly 

 direction beyond the limits of St. Andrews Bay out 

 into the open sea. 



It is of some interest to notice the direction in 

 which the Scottish fish caught in sea nets at some 

 distance from the rivers in which they were marked 

 chiefly travel. The Grimerst a- Castletown fish, cross- 

 ing the Minch and travelling the whole length of 

 the Pentland Firth in an easterly direction, has 

 already been referred to. Six Helmsdale fish 

 travelled south and have been caught at Portma- 

 homack, on the coast south of Tarbat Ness. Three 

 Helmsdale fish went into the Brora, and one north to 

 Dunbeath ; another north to the river Halladale. A 

 Brora fish also went north 100 miles, and was caught 

 in a bag-net near the mouth of the Halladale. The 

 contrast in the increase of weight in these two other- 

 wise similar records is very remarkable. The Brora 

 fish increased 5j lb. in eighty-eight days, while the 



