180 SALMON FISHING 



that can affect the Erne. There is very good sport 

 on the Erne. It is one of the best fly-fishing rivers 

 in Ireland." 



The BUNDROWES and LOUGH MELVIN, between 

 County Leitrim and County Fermanagh, are in an 

 evil plight. Colonel Vernon, Clontarf Castle, County 

 Dublin, writes : 



"I have fished the Bundrowes for the last two 

 seasons. The river, to look at, is as good a bit of 

 water as one can see; but, from all local accounts, 

 between poaching and over-netting the angling both 

 there and on Lough Melvin is thoroughly spoilt. I 

 killed six or seven spring fish my first season ; three 

 the second season ; and I have the place for the 

 coming season. I am not a bad fisherman. I killed 

 100 clean fish one season on the Black water, County 

 Cork, in February and March, and have fished in 

 Ireland for over thirty years. I consider the Bun- 

 drowes to be one of the pleasantest rivers to fish, and 

 the worst in which to catch anything." 



The DROWSE, running from Lough Melvin to 

 Donegal Bay, yields brisk sport early in the year. 

 Lord Clarina, who has fished it only one season, and 

 that not quite recently, has it well looked after. 

 He writes : 



"For the first fortnight I did not see a fish. I 

 suspected that the river was being netted ; put on a 

 keeper and watchers; and found that there were 

 three gangs of poachers at work. At the end of 

 three months I had most of them caught, and their 

 nets seized. It was not until March 3 that I landed 



