134 SALMON FISHING 



since a dam with a sluice-gate was built, in 1901, 

 at the outlet of Loch Shinaskaig. By this aid we 

 can send down enough water to induce fish to leave 

 the sea when, as so often happens on these short, 

 rapid-falling streams of the west coast, there is too 

 little water for the fish to run. I am taking steps 

 in the same direction in the cases of the Cannaird 

 and the Oiskaig, though these are not so easily 

 managed. There is a hatchery at Drumrunie, 

 from which, since 1901, from 100,000 to 150,000 

 salmon and sea-trout have been distributed every 

 year among the three rivers. Since 1901, also, a 

 third of the bag nets have been removed, and there 

 is no net within two miles of a river mouth except 

 one about a mile from the mouth of the Oiskaig, 

 which is mainly sea-trout water. We only get ten 

 or a dozen grilse on it in the year. I suppose 

 that salmon do go up ; but they are never caught. 

 I have undertaken the work too recently to be 

 able to give any decided opinion as to results. One 

 thing does seem certain, and that is, that the fewer 

 nets get just as many grilse and salmon. 1905 was 

 a great grilse year ; which, I suppose, was the con- 

 sequence of a wet season and a big run of fish up 

 the rivers in 1902. The results of the seasons 1906 

 and 1907 should tell us whether the work done is 

 to be reproductive. There is no pollution of rivers, 

 which flow entirely through our own forests and 

 sheep ground, and are well looked after.*" 



The ALNESS has been falling off' for three years. 

 Mr. John R. Meiklejohn, Novar, tells me that the 



