THE NITH 429 



fall, and close to the Gribton Sawmill which stands here, a net 

 stretched between two poles and worked by two men each 

 holding a pole and searching the crannies of the pools, used to 

 be worked. After litigation it was discontinued. The falls at 

 all ordinary levels are total obstructions and should certainly 

 be blasted, as, I believe, was arranged for before the late pro- 

 prietor of Gribton died. There is a low mill-dam for purposes 

 of the sawmill just above the fall, tapering away to a vanishing 

 point at the opposite or right bank. The blasting of the fall 

 at the left side would naturally result in a greater concentration 

 of water there, and operations would have to be continued 

 upwards and across the stream towards the low part of the 

 weir at or near the right bank. 



About a couple of miles below the mouth of the next tribu- 

 tary, at Barjarg, a famous poacher named Jock Wallace landed 

 a fish of 67 Ib. in 1812. It was hooked about eight in the 

 morning and landed at six in the evening, by which time, it is 

 reported, only two strands of Jock's hair line held the fish. It 

 was taken to Barjarg Tower and weighed, and a certificate was 

 given signed by witnesses. This fish appears to be second 

 only to the 69| Ib. fish caught on rod in Tweed, and referred 

 to on p. 22. 



The next tributary, as we ascend the main river, is the Scaur. 

 It has a course of about 17 miles and a direction roughly 

 parallel to the Cairn. The road from Moniaive to Thornhill 

 crosses it near Penpont. The Scaur Water is one of the 

 tributaries possessing most excellent spawning grounds, which 

 can be but little used by salmon. A perpendicular dam of 

 wood is erected on a natural projection of rocks. There is 

 some modification of the rocks in order to facilitate the ascent 

 of fish, but the pass, such as it is, does not, I believe, conform 

 to the regulations and is but a poor one. About a mile further 

 up two waterfalls occur. They are about 50 yards apart and 

 the upper is about 6 feet high. 



It would be wearisome to refer in detail to the dam dykes of 

 other tributaries. The recognised method of forming these 

 structures in this District is apparently by the erection of a 

 perpendicular barrier of wood. With the exception of the 

 Dumfries Caul, the comparatively low structures on the Cluden, 

 and the Crawick wool mill dam now " passed," I think all the 



