18 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



made in 1907 by Mr. H. W. Johnston, it appears that the fish 

 was nearly eight years old, and had spawned twice in its life- 

 time, once as a grilse in 1903, and again in 1905. 



With regard to the catch of salmon in Floors Water, the 

 Duke of Roxburghe has very kindly let me have the perusal 

 of the Floors Fishing Books, which date back to 1839. In the 

 early years it has been customary to enter the kelts and baggots 

 landed, as well as the clean fish, and also as one goes through 

 the records it is noticeable that angling was apparently not 

 carried on in late autumn to the same extent as now. Not 

 infrequently no fishing is recorded in November ; occasionally 

 there is no record in October, or only three or four days' catches 

 are mentioned. This makes those early records scarcely 

 comparable with the carefully kept records of more recent 

 years, which are complete up to date. I therefore propose to 

 deal in detail only with the more recent period. In passing, 

 however, I should like to mention the year 1846, on account 

 of the number of clean fish which appears to have been taken 

 at a fairly early date. In seventeen days' fishing in April 

 of that year 37 clean fish are recorded, and in eight 

 days' fishing in May, 20 clean fish. The earliest date in 

 which a clean fish is noted is 20th March, 1868. 



In more recent years it is interesting to notice how the 

 spring fishing records have improved. March is no longer the 

 month in which the first fish of the season are noted, but 

 February. In the four waters of Upper Floors, Lower Floors, 

 Ednam, and Sprouston, fishing has not always been regular at 

 first, but I have noted the February totals since 1906, and find 

 the following : 



1906 .... 58 fish. 



1911 .... 61 



1912 .... 51 



1913 . 61 



1914 107 fish. 



1918 88 



1919 28 



1920 . 81 



From newspaper reports as to the opening of the season 1921, 

 in which two or three fishings other than the above are referred 

 to, it appears that 100 fish were caught on the rod in the first 

 week. Col. Trotter at Sprouston, on the two days 4th and 

 5th February, had 15 fish, and a monster springer of 51 Ib. 

 was killed in thirty minutes at Birgham, on a 14 foot rod, 

 by Mr. H. St. George. 



