34 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



mile of the river mouth is netted, and the rental has been over 

 20,000. No doubt this sum has been attained to a con- 

 siderable extent through the great increase in sporting value, 

 but if the nets had not been removed there would have been 

 no spring angling in the Dee. 



The Tweed still retains, however, what one may describe as 

 a remnant of its large spring run. A comparatively small 

 percentage of the annual netted produce of the river is dis- 

 tributed over the early months of the year. 1 An increasing 

 amount of spring angling is to be obtained in the lower reaches 

 of the river, however, as will have been gathered from the 

 accounts of Floors, Ednam, and Sprouston. 



Conversely, if the stock of fish in Tweed were allowed to 

 increase, if a due proportion of each run of fish which enter 

 the river were allowed to ascend to the upper waters and there 

 to reproduce their species, the spring run of fish would improve, 

 and with this improvement would also come a more natural 

 and more defined spawning season. The process could only 

 be brought about by degrees, else dislocation of existing 

 conditions of fishing would result. 



A proposal has been brought forward once or twice to arrange 

 for the removal of the nets from Coldstream to the Union 

 Bridge, which, as already explained, marks the top of tide 

 reach. There are, I believe, twenty-one nets worked in this 

 stretch of river, giving employment to between eighty and 

 ninety men. The fishings represent a considerable annual 

 value, and we may assume that at this date no proposal of this 

 kind would be brought forward without allowing for adequate 

 compensation. In my view the project is by no means 

 impracticable. Similar action has been taken elsewhere, and 

 all experience shows that the best interests of the fisheries as 

 a whole are served thereby. It is not only merely a proposal 

 which will benefit the rod fishers of the upper waters, who will 

 be the first to reap the benefit of an additional and an earlier 

 supply of fish. The increase in the stock of fish will presently 

 tell also upon the nets which remain. So much is this recog- 

 nised on the Dee that the Aberdeen Harbour Commissioners, 

 who have valuable salmon fishings on the coast and in the 



1 Vide Appendix X., Report of Tweed and Solway Commission t 

 Part L, 1896. 



