DESTRUCTION OF SALMON. 271 



personal acquaintance to enable rue to describe their merits 

 or demerits. 



It is a matter quite beyond doubt that salmon are decreas- 

 ing every year in most of the Scottish rivers. With short- 

 sighted cupidity, these valuable fish are hunted down, 

 trapped, and caught in every possible manner; and in 

 consequence of this reckless destruction the proprietors of 

 some salmon rivers will, before many years have elapsed, lose 

 the high rents which they now obtain from sportsmen and 

 speculators. Prolific as they are, fish, like all other animals, 

 must of necessity decrease, unless allowed fair play and time 

 to breed. 



It is not the angler who injuriously thins their number. 

 The salmon is too capricious in rising at the fly to make this 

 possible. Nor, indeed, do I think that any extent of fair 

 river-fishing can exterminate them. It is the system of 

 stake-net and bag-net fishing which requires to be better 

 regulated and placed under more stringent local laws. As 

 the fishing is now carried on, the salmon are almost precluded 

 from reaching their breeding-grounds. The mouth of every 

 river is flanked and hemmed in by stake-nets and similar 

 obstructions, against which the poor salmon have not the 

 least chance. Coasting along the shore in search of fresh 

 water, they find a fence which they cannot get through, and 

 which leads them directly into an ingenious but most 

 iniquitous puzzle of a trap. In fact, if the object of 

 proprietors and renters of rivers was to exterminate salmon, 

 they could not devise better means to do so than those now 

 practised. On the other hand, the rents are so high and 

 they still go on increasing that the lessees are obliged of 

 necessity to use every means in their power to pay all their 

 heavy expenses to obtain even a moderate profit. 



The individual who hires a salmon river as a matter of 

 trade and speculation cannot be expected to be influenced by 

 any other motive than wishing to make the best of his 

 bargain. His outgoings are great ; he pays a large rent for 

 the privilege of dragging a net through the water ; he pays a 

 rent for the right of putting up stake-nets, bag-nets, cruives, 

 &c., all of which are exposed to injury and destruction by 

 flood and storm ; he pays numerous servants and watchers, 

 and has also the great expense of making and renewing his 

 boats, nets, and other valuable tackles and yet he is the 

 person usually blamed as the destroyer of the salmon, 



