122 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



nets, and thereby allowing a larger number of fish to reach the 

 spawning beds in the upper waters." 



The alternative of commencing hatching on a large scale 

 had previously been considered by the District Fishery Board, 

 and plans of rearing-ponds, etc., had been drawn and submitted, 

 but it was decided that to allow breeding fish in greater numbers 

 to reach the splendid reaches of natural spawning grounds in 

 the Dee was the better plan. The District Board could not 

 undertake the removal of nets, so the proprietors above 

 Banchory formed themselves into an Association for the 

 purpose, the initiative being taken by the Marquis of Huntly. 

 The process was in each case to lease the net fishing and to 

 keep the net off. In the middle of season 1873 the commence- 

 ment was made with the Banchory Lodge nets. By 1875 

 Tillquhillie, Crathes, Durris, Park, Altries, Drum, and 

 Tilbouries had been added. Funds did not permit any exten- 

 sion after this till 1881, when the clearing operations reached 

 to Kingcausie, but Blairs, Murtle, and Heathcote soon followed. 

 In 1892 Inchgarth came in, and in 1896 the Waterside nets 

 were reached. This allowed only about 3 miles of netting 

 to remain, most of which was in tidal water. The sum paid 

 annually in rentals now amounted to 692, and with rates 

 and expenses 757. The money was raised by voluntary 

 effort. 



Now let us see what was happening to the rental. The river 

 fishings (angling), apart from sweep netting, started at 1,254 

 as we have seen. In ten years it stood at 3,751 ; in twenty 

 years at 6,312 ; and in twenty-eight years it had reached the 

 substantial total of 10,939. The total rental started at 

 7,031 ; in twenty-eight years it stood at 18,990. In 1902 it 

 reached the perhaps rather inflated figure of 19,445. There 

 has been a slight shrinkage since, but the figure has always 

 been about 19,000, till with the war the total fell, and in 

 1920 was 17,491. 



At the commencement of season 1909 a still further addition 

 to the scope of the Association's influence was amicably secured, 

 after failure of negotiations on two consecutive years, by the 

 taking over of two netting stations above the Old Bridge of 

 Dee. The river is therefore completely free of nets from this 

 point upwards, and practically only the tidal area of the river 



