126 SALMON FISHING 



The SPEY, rising in Inverness-shire, and flowing 

 through Elgin and Banff, is in one respect, being a 

 hundred miles long, the second river in Scotland. 

 Naturally it is capable of being at least equally 

 distinguished as regards sport; but there seems a 

 difficulty in the way of declaring it to be so. By 

 the authority of Sir John Ramsden, who says he is, 

 "unfortunately, no fisherman,'" Mr. John Carr, Head 

 Gamekeeper at Strathmashie, and a master of the 

 salmon rod, sends a note : 



u Speaking of the river from Grantown upwards," 

 he writes, " I may say it is within my knowledge 

 that there has been a falling -off in sport, and in 

 number of fish, for twenty -five years. However 

 much pollution might be a trouble in the lower 

 reaches, it cannot have anything to do with the 

 stock in the upper reaches, where, I think I may 

 say, the river is quite free from anything of the 

 kind. In my opinion the main cause of the decline 

 is excessive netting at the mouth." 



On the other hand, I have a highly favourable 

 account of the Spey as represented by the stretches 

 belonging to the Duke of Richmond and Gordon : 

 " I am glad to let you know that very good 

 sport was got last year. As regards salmon, the 

 results were thirty -eight per cent better than the 

 average of the five years from 1900 to 1904, inclu- 

 sive ; while the number of grilse caught was four per 

 cent above the average for the period mentioned. 

 The average weight of salmon last year was the same 

 as from 1900 to 1904, inclusive ; but that of grilse 



