424 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



his sack a little tighter under his arm and trotted off to a range 

 of nets still further out. But the sequel of the story was what 

 amused me. I drove back to Dumfries, some six or seven 

 miles, and after lunch I went into a fishing-tackle shop 

 to ask a question or two, and presently found myself listening 

 to the woes of the local anglers, and to a complaint against the 

 paedle nets and haaf nets in particular. 



" But," said the shopman in conclusion, " we're going to 

 have this all altered now." 



" How's that ? " I asked in some inward surprise. 



" The Government Inspector's down here just now, and he's 

 an expert photographer. He's been down playing click here 

 and there amongst the nets," and he slapped his hands to 

 emphasise the sound of the click. " Ah," he added, " the 

 camera doesn't lie." 



I felt then that outside of the shop was the best place for me, 

 but I managed to keep my face straight for one more question. 



" Where does this Inspector come from ? " 



" Oh," with conviction, " the Woods and Forests." 



I left then. 



Time after time the paedle net fishers have been taken to 

 court, and time after time they have paid their fines and 

 presently rigged up their nets again. 



The netting now practised is net and coble fishing in the 

 tidal part of the river. The tide flows up as far as the weir or 

 " caul " of Dumfries, and it follows, since this weir is, in most 

 conditions of water, a distinct check to ascending fish, that 

 fish congregate below the weir. According to the law south 

 of the Border it would not be lawful to net close up to the 

 foot of the Caul, but in Scotland, unfortunately, as I believe, 

 we have no clause prohibiting this practice. When the stock 

 of fish has run very low, as in the Nith, netting below an 

 obstruction at the mouth of the river is likely to be more than 

 the river can stand. In addition to the tidal netting below 

 the weir, an occasional shot is still, I think, taken above the 

 weir and at the mouth of, and a short distance up, the tributary 

 of the Cluden. In all, nine shots may be said to be regularly 

 worked and five shots occasionally fished. 



At the mouth of the river a certain number of haaf nets are 

 also worked. The haaf net is peculiar to the Solway, as the 



