132 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



two works is quite half a mile from the intake, the water is 

 clear and contains a lot of trout. The gradient of the lade is 

 evidently so arranged as to secure a good flow of water. One 

 cannot see this arrangement without wishing that in other 

 places where water power is desired, a similar absence of all 

 obstruction in the river could have been secured. 



Net and coble fishing is practised in the lower Don for about 

 4| miles, but the hauling grounds are only seven or eight in 

 number, distributed amongst six proprietors, at Nether Don, 

 the Cruives, Grandholm, Persley, Mugiemoss, and Waterton, 

 but the last-named fishing is not now worked. The Grand- 

 holm and Mugiemoss fishings are considered as of highest value. 

 The Nether Don fishings at the mouth are in value not much 

 below them. A monthly return of salmon, grilse, and trout 

 for the years 1894 to 1900 was handed in to the Elgin 

 Commission by Mr. Davidson, the chief holder, with the Ship- 

 masters' Society. This return shows that the most productive 

 month for salmon is August, and the best grilse month is July. 

 The combined totals of salmon and grilse for the years named 

 are : 



1894 8,194 



1895 17,259 



1896 10,764 



1897 7,062 



1898 

 1899 

 1900 



5,793 



13,455 



9,861 



The highest totals are all the result of good grilse years. In 

 1895 and 1899 over 5,000 grilse were taken in July alone. 

 Of late years the fishings are apparently beginning to reap 

 the benefit of the improvements at the difficult dykes already 

 referred to. Don fish are of a fine class, and quite a number of 

 heavy fellows enter the river at the end of the season. In a 

 paragraph in The Field I have noticed an account of how an 

 angler at Grandholm landed a 41^ Ib. fish, and, leaving it on 

 the bank, hastened a little lower down to a fellow-angler and 

 gaffed a 43-pounder for him. I wondered as I read of his leaving 

 his fish on the bank, if the sequel was not going to be that he 

 could not find it on his return. Some people hang about Grand- 

 holm at the back-end who are not to be trusted when one's 

 back is turned. I have known them scheme to draw off the 

 patient river watchers by showing lights in a suspicious manner, 

 in order to allow time for a comrade to do some rapid snatch- 



