60 RENTAL OF SALMON FISHERY. 



salmon fishery in the Severn, near Poole Quay, says* the 

 best fish are commonly taken there in November, 

 December, and January, though they are not numerous, 

 and that in the Dovey and Tivy, two rivers with which 

 he is well acquainted, the Salmon are always in the best 

 season at the period when the Severn Salmon are in the 

 worst condition. 



But if Salmon prefer the warmest rivers in the win- 

 ter, they spawn earliest in those that are most cold. Thus 

 in the shallow mountain streams which pour into the 

 Tay nearer its sources (I do not mean such as may 

 issue from lochs), the fish spawn much earlier than those 

 in the main bed of the river. The late John Crerar, 

 head fisherman and forester to the Duke of Atholl, 

 wrote thus in his manuscript : — 



" 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. ISIr. John Wilson f states, that during the seven 



* Minutes of Evidence ttilcen in 1825, &c. p. 14. 

 •f Minutes of Evidence, &c. in 1824, p. 9. 



