THE NITH 423 



important sources as a dye work, two large tweed mills, and 

 two hosiery mills has not been allowed to enter the purification 

 works, but, as formerly, is poured straight into the river. 

 Those who have seen what this means, as I have, will agree that 

 the Nith cannot be regarded as purified till the trade waste is 

 also treated. At the same time I may add that there seems no 

 adequate reason why such a large establishment as the Crichton 

 Asylum should escape treating its sewage. 



The over-netting is not now so serious as it was. Two 

 methods of netting called whammelling, i.e., drift net fishing 

 for salmon, and paedle net fishing, have been largely put 

 down by the action of the local proprietors. The paedle net 

 is a small stake net set on the sandy flats off the river mouth, 

 so that when the tide ebbs the net is left dry. It is in all 

 essentials a salmon fixed net, but is of a smaller size. There 

 are leaders and cross arms and a " head " or enclosed chamber 

 which constitutes the trap. Attached to this there is very 

 frequently a cylindrical " coop " of netting with an inverted 

 mouth, after the fashion of a large lobster pot. This is the 

 innermost recess of the trap. These nets are white-fish nets, 

 but are frequently fished where they almost inevitably catch 

 salmon. 



1 recollect setting up a stand camera to take a nice photo- 

 graph of some paedle nets one day in the rain, at dead low 

 water, about half a mile out on the mud. I had just completed 

 my operations when an innocent-looking fisherman, with his 

 trousers rolled up to the knees and an empty sack under his 

 arms, came trotting out in my direction. He evidently wished 

 to speak, but did not know how to begin. I helped him out 

 therefore by asking if these were his nets. No, they weren't 

 his nets. 



" What do you catch in these curious nets ? " I asked. 



The inevitable answer came at once, " Oh, jist a few 

 flounders." 



" The fish in this net over here are not flounders." 



I may explain that he kept at a most respectful distance 

 during our conversation. 



" No ! What's in that net ? " 



" Sea-trout," I answered. 



His conversation seemed quite exhausted then. He tucked 



