SCOTLAND 163 



ings in Ayrshire ; but fishermen do not attach much 

 importance to that. The explanation seems to be, 

 simply, that not many fish enter the river. Whether 

 the stock in the Solway is lessening or not I cannot 

 say. Of late years we have been unfortunate as 

 regards floods. The Lammas rains used to keep the 

 river full for ten or twelve days, and then, with the 

 nets removed from Saturday evening at 6 o'clock until 

 Monday morning at 6, we were sure of a run. Any 

 flooding of late years has often been in the beginning 

 or in the middle of the week, and by Saturday there 

 has been no water to entice the fish. Any time that 

 salmon have been fairly common in the pools or on 

 the redds has always been far too late to permit of 

 rod-fishing. It has been said that salmon go back 

 to the place of their birth. If that be so, there 

 must be a decrease in the stock of the Nith. The 

 draining of the hills brings the water and sand down 

 with great force, and often the spawn beds are in- 

 jured. Restocking from hatcheries is the only 

 resource."" 



The CAIRN, which rises in Mr. James M'Call's 

 estate of Caitloch, and flows into the Nith near 

 Dumfries, yields a salmon now and then on the 

 lower reaches. 



The ANNAN has been declining for twelve years. 

 Mr. Edward J. Brook, Hoddom Castle, Ecclefechan, 

 writes : 



" It used to be quite worth while asking people 

 to come here for salmon fishing. Provided there 

 was water, they were pretty sure of sport. Now 



