SCOTLAND 125 



not much rely on them. My own opinion is that 

 the Findhorn suffers somewhat, in common with a 

 good many other rivers in Scotland, from too much 

 netting in the narrow fresh-water in the river and 

 from the sea nets being worked too close to the 

 mouth. Considerable improvement in the boats 

 used on the sea coast has, I believe, been made 

 during the last forty years ; and I think I am right 

 in understanding that, owing to this, nets are able 

 to fish in places where, because of the rough water, 

 they were unable to fish before. If the fishing by 

 nets in the narrow fresh -water were somewhat 

 restricted, and the area where sea nets are allowed 

 to fish were pushed back quarter or half of a mile 

 on each side of the river where it enters the 

 sea, the Findhorn, as well as a good many other 

 rivers, would, I think, derive considerable benefit.' 1 

 Lord Moray, I believe, does not put the state of 

 affairs too hopefully. Major Rose of Kilravock has 

 shown to me a letter from his cousin, Major John B. 

 Rose, in which it is said that within the last five years 

 the Findhorn has greatly improved. "In the first 

 of these," the letter runs, " I got only four fish ; 

 in 1904, I had twenty-seven ; and in 1905, in about 

 five weeks, twenty-one, four of them over 20 Ibs. 

 The improvement has followed upon the nets at 

 Sluie Pool having been taken off. Prawn and 

 gudgeon, which used to do well on the Nairn, do 

 not seem to be successful on the Findhorn. They 

 are also, I have noticed, of little use on the Conon 

 or the Oykel." 



