258 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



to admit of bag nets being run out from either shore, one 

 attached to the outer end of the other, so that fish can be 

 seriously debarred from entering. It has happened in the past 

 that competing tacksmen fished opposite sides of the bay and 

 had small mercy on the river. The Crown hold the rights on 

 the west wide, and Major Radclyffe, of Forss, on the east, and 

 difficulties having arisen as to the proper limits of the estuary, 

 the matter has now been settled by the erection of iron posts 

 by a competent engineer. 1 It is a very rough coast for net- 

 ting beyond these limits, but a certain amount of difficulty 

 has been recurring on the west side. A sweep net at the 

 mouth catches a large number of fish, and is fished by Major 

 Radclyffe. 



The fall on the river is so serious that late-running fish, if 

 at all heavy with spawn, are not all likely to surmount it. A 

 limited amount of spawning ground exists in the mile of water 

 below, but the excellent extent of spawning ground above 

 could accommodate more fish than manage to reach it. Spring 

 fish enter the river, but are of course found only below the 

 fall. This stretch of water is very sluggish, and fishes best 

 with a stiff breeze. Twenty to thirty fish may be regarded as 

 the average spring catch. I am aware that on two occasions 

 48 fish have been taken, and when the Crosskirk netting was 

 most keenly carried on, the total ran down to below 20. I 

 think 18 fish were hooked and only 9 landed, which may 

 have been the fault of the anglers to some extent. Two rods 

 usually fish the water in March and April. It has been reported 

 that in 1902 two rods, Colonel Philpotts and another (prob- 

 ably Mr. Arkwright, who was shooting tenant of Westfield, 

 for each fished three days a week at that time), killed 160 

 fish in six weeks' spring fishing. Colonel Philpotts had 7 fish 

 one day. 



Black, who was then keeper, and who is now again at Forss 

 House, tells me that the best spring fishing he saw on the Forss 

 was in 1903 when, from the opening to the end of May, 55 

 salmon were killed. 



Fish begin to ascend the fall towards the end of May, but for 

 the most part the grilse, which come rather later, are the fish 

 which succeed in surmounting the obstacle. About 50 to 60 

 1 Smith and Another v. Lord Advocate, 1 903. 



