100 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



confined to September and October. Without any doubt all 

 this beautiful river would fish well throughout the greater part 

 of the season if it only had a chance, and I should imagine that 

 with rents as they now are, salmon angling might very easily 

 be more remunerative than the small mills or the cruive fishing. 

 It is noteworthy that wherever in Scotland the owner of cruive 

 fishing rights has also the whole interest in the angling above, 

 the cruive dyke has been abolished or rendered harmless. In 

 this way, for instance, all the cruives in the County of Suther- 

 land were removed many years ago ; the Ugie cruives are 

 kept open, the Beauly cruives are kept open, and so on. I 

 have no doubt a time will come when the Earn cruives will also 

 be opened up. The general interest demands it. There is 

 little hardship if compensation in good angling is secured to the 

 holder, or otherwise if compensation in hard cash is forthcoming 

 from those who will obtain the good angling. 



With regard to the product of the Earn, at present it has to 

 be further realised that a dry or a wet season make all the 

 difference between a bad and a good autumn fishing in so far 

 as the water above Dupplin is concerned. A flood may let 

 fish over Dupplin and have fallen away before they can ascend 

 Strathallan, or they may ascend Strathallan and be unable 

 to get over Colquhalzie, and so on. Only stage by stage can 

 they ascend the river. Under these circumstances the results 

 in the reaches near Crieff are liable to great fluctuation. 

 Striking a somewhat rough mean in the fluctuations which I 

 know have existed recently, I estimate that the annual produce 

 to the rod is about 330 fish, of which Dupplin Reserve Water 

 has by far the greatest share. 



