163 



about 200 yards down the stream, expanding at (he same 

 time until they approach the respective shores j leaving 

 a channel on each side of about 20 feet broad, but con- 

 trived so as to be very shallow, the main body of the 

 water rushing through the cages. 



The salmon, attracted by the velocity of the stream in 

 the middle., and by the fall (often of many feet) into 

 them, are eager to rush into the cages, where they are 

 taken. None but ascending fishes are prized ; as those 

 which bend their course downwards have spawned, and 

 are out of season. Nor, indeed, do they usually descend 

 the streams until the fishing season is, by law, closed. 



There being sometimes distinct fisheries for the net 

 above cruives> which belong to other parties, the law 

 has interfered to prevent the rails from being set too close 

 together j else the value of the upper proprietors' fisheries 

 would be destroyed, and the produce of succeeding years 

 be considerably reduced- 



As it is, 1 must confess, that mismanagement appears- 



be somewhere existent ; for, with few exceptions, the 

 fisheries for salmon throughout Scotland, especially in 

 the Ness, which was formerly of the first rate, are con- 

 fessed by all to decline miserably ! We can only attri- 

 bute one cause to such an effect, namely, the great rise 

 that has taken place within these few years, in the rents 

 of all the fisheries ; by which the fishers have been actu~ 

 atcd to narrow the crulves, as has been done, to my 

 knowledge, in some instances 5 thus taking fishes before 

 they attain a good .size. 



This is, in fact, eating all the chicks, and leaving none 

 to grow up into fowls. Besides, young fish., though, 



they. 



