THE LUCE 403 



sea-trout in the night. The most noteworthy performance, 

 however, of this well-known sportsman was when he killed 

 early one July, on No. 3 beat, 48 sea-trout and 6 salmon on a 

 10-ft. trout rod. The two heaviest trout were 13 Ib. and 11 

 Ib. and eight of the trout were heavier than the 6 salmon and 

 grilse. A less extraordinary, if more representative catch in 

 the Puddle Hole was one of 100 sea- trout with 30 of them over 

 2 1 Ib. and the heaviest 6 Ib. There is a weir at the head of the 

 pool, placed there, no doubt, in order to preserve the founda- 

 tions of the viaduct, but also utilised for the purpose of carrying 

 water to a neighbouring farm mill. The weir is about 3| feet 

 high, but has an easy slope on its downstream face (which is 

 covered with wood). The weir is constructed with an angle 

 towards the left bank, and in this angular section a small, and, 

 in my opinion, perfectly useless, salmon pass exists. 



Great quantities of sea- trout frequently congregate in the 

 pool waiting till such time as the rise in water-level will enable 

 them to surmount the face of the weir. Occasionally a salmon 

 is seen moving about amongst his smaller relatives, and for 

 the size of the river the salmon, as well as the sea-trout, are 

 heavy. Fish up to 35 Ib. have been killed, and fish over 20 Ib. 

 are by no means uncommon. 



The salmon are not as free risers as the trout, and it may be 

 that the great crowd of the latter tend to put the larger fish off 

 the rise. Only some 30 to 35 salmon are, I understand, 

 expected in these lower waters, and perhaps 5 or 10 in Lord 

 Stair's water above. There is a second dam -dyke about half 

 a mile above the viaduct. It is about 3 feet high, with a 

 downstream face of about 12 feet, giving, therefore, a gradient 

 of 1 in 4. There is a small sort of drain close to the right bank, 

 which, I presume, is supposed to represent a pass. Under 

 ordinary conditions of level no water goes down it, and there 

 can be no pretence of its conforming to the regulations. 

 Indeed, unless the weir is carefully examined, the thing would 

 not be noticed. The lead up for fish is at the opposite side of 

 the river. The lade which passes off from this weir takes a 

 good deal of water, and is unsluiced. A bye-wash, which 

 comes from it to the river some 500 yards, or thereby, below 

 the weir, forms the only pass by which sea-trout are enabled 

 to ascend when the dyke is dry. In justice to the upper waters, 



