238 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



Since in dealing with the Helmsdale mention must necessarily 

 be made of the storing of head waters, I must follow the question 

 up by giving such statistics as are available to show the result 

 of these operations. At the same time it must not be lost sight 

 of that the removal of nets is also largely responsible for the 

 benefit. The combination seems to act in this way, that while 

 the cessation of netting allows more fish to enter the river, the 

 flow of the impounded water induces the fish to rise more 

 freely to the fly the only lure used or allowed in the Helms- 

 dale or other Sutherland rivers. 



The Helmsdale anglers do not fish each his own particular 

 water, but the river being divided into beats, and the railway 

 and a road running one on each side of the strath, the various 

 beats are " pooled " and fished by each in rotation, as will be 

 described later. 



Since the beats are taken in descending order, any unfair 

 advantage which might arise through a man working upstream 

 and following a shoal of fish is obviated. For convenience, the 

 proprietors of Auchintoul and Badanloch Lodges at the top of 

 the river have erected small lodges in the lower part of the 

 strath to suit the early fishing. 



The bag net fishing on the coast began in February 1896, a 

 lease having been given for a period of fifteen years ; but the 

 angling tenants, as they then were, bought them off in Martinmas 

 1899, so that this fishing lasted for only four years. Sweep 

 netting at the mouth of the river had previously been carried 

 on for a long period, although since 1876 this netting began only 

 on 1st May, after which year the stock of spring fish in the river 

 very naturally improved. With the advent of bag netting the 

 sweep net fishing at once fell off, and when the bag nets were 

 removed the sweep nets were also taken from the water. The 

 year 1899, therefore, marks the cessation of all netting in this 

 district. 



The return on the following page shows the catches by nets 

 and rods, and is of considerable interest. 



In the 33 years of net and coble fishing before the bag nets 

 came into use, and including the first year of bag net fishing, 

 there are only two years in which the takes were under 1,000, 

 viz. in 1879 and 1880. The average for the 33 years is 2,557 

 fish (salmon and grilse). Immediately after the commence- 



