anent the slaying and destroying of red-Jlsh, smolts, and 

 4 fry f Salmon."" 



At the date of this act, and, indeed, for some time after 

 the Union, the modes of fishing appear to have been 

 little farther advanced than they were centuries before. 

 The fishery was still confined to the narrow rivers. It 

 was not attempted, at least, not by any efficient 

 mode, in the friths or estuaries. And it may fair- 

 ly be doubted, whether it was then known that Sal- 

 mon could be caught on such stations, in any consider- 

 able numbers. 



Gradually, however, as the country awakened, and 

 enterprize was encouraged, and markets were opened, 

 the fishery began to advance, particularly in the Tweed 

 and the Solway, and various means were attempted to 

 render it more productive. What was called a toot-net 

 was tried ; and at some stations another engine called a 

 stage-net, was introduced. The toot-net, in some respects, 

 resembled the common seine, or coble-net ; but it was 

 much larger and stronger, and extending to an indefinite 

 length from the beach into the water, was secured at its 

 extremity by an anchor. The construction of the stage- 

 net was more complicated. The fish were here, by means 

 of a long line of net-work, fastened like the toot-net by 

 an anchor, conducted into gins or traps y or what were 

 termed pock-nets, placed below a wooden platform on 

 which the fisher stood to watch ; and when they were 

 inclosed in these gins or traps, he raised them to his stage 

 or platform, and so secured them. 



None of these modes of fishing, however, effected any 

 material improvement upon the produce of the fisheries, 

 which remained almost unaltered, until a more efficient 

 species of apparatus, which was introduced about the 



