120 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



our net. Hours were spent in the two or three short winter 

 days, while the net, torn to shreds, was spread out on the bank, 

 and the netting needles got out. I would not recommend any 

 man to go poaching the Dee with a good net. 



The average take by rod from the Durris Water is about 

 350 fish, but I believe the year 1906 yielded the great total of 

 1038. The water here is thoroughly characteristic of the 

 river Dee. The pools succeed one another in pleasant series ; 

 nowhere too deep, but " streamy " interesting water. With 

 West Durris, Durris proper, and Lower Durris, Park Bridge is 

 passed. The combined Durris Water extends to about 7| 

 miles, and is capable of great results. Below Park we come 

 into the reaches of the river, which fish better in autumn than 

 in spring. Early fish swim past to a great extent, for the 

 current is not much broken, and the usual temperature not 

 sufficient to act as a check. Drum, Culter, Kingcausie, 

 Blair, Murtle, Inchgarth, and Garthdee, brings us down to 

 the foot of the angling water. These are all on the left 

 bank, with both Kingcausie and Blair College fishing both 

 banks. The remaining waters on the right bank are 

 Tilbouries, Altries, Heathcote and Ardoe, and Banchory- 

 Devenick. 



In the case of some of these low waters no very accurate 

 records are secured by the proprietors and the scores are not 

 very great. I have been favoured with a statement respect- 

 ing four years in the case of Altries. The totals are 23, 

 36, 31, and 30 fish. As may be expected, however, some 

 of the heaviest fish are taken in these low reaches. I 

 may mention here that in the spring of 1911, on 21st 

 February, Mr. D. F. Davidson of Dess killed one of 31 lb., 

 an unusually heavy Dee fish. The ordinary springer here is 

 the 8-10 lb. fish, the four year old. The heaviest autumn 

 fish was one of 57 lb. , killed on Ardoe. From a letter I have 

 from Mr. Ogston of Ardoe, it appears that the fish was killed 

 by his keeper in or about the year 1889. 



Lord Granville Gordon, in his Sporting Reminiscences, has 

 a chapter " In Praise of Salmon Fishing," and in it are many 

 good things well told. After describing what the behaviour of 

 a wild fish is like, and how it usually gives rise to wild language, 

 he continues, " While on salmon memories, I may as well 



