210 SALMON FISHING 



days, Saturday and Sunday. Then the fish are 

 followed up the river. A boat with nets is brought 

 up, and the fish in large quantities are taken out 

 between the two bridges in the town of Bushmills. 

 They are even driven into the nets by pelting them 

 with stones. Large fish are thus kept from reaching 

 the spawning beds. I have called the Fishery Com- 

 missioners' attention to these things, which are 

 illegal even in the case of a several fishery ; and on 

 one occasion Mr. Roche came down, and at once 

 ordered the obstruction at the mouth of the river 

 to be removed. Sir Francis does not trouble him- 

 self, about the matter, and it is not pleasant to 

 take proceedings against a neighbour with whom 

 one is on friendly though perhaps rather distant 

 terms. The proper remedy is for the Fishery Com- 

 missioners to be forced to look into these matters by 

 having independent Inspectors constantly watching. 

 Action should be taken by the Commissioners. The 

 matter should not be left to private persons who do 

 not want to quarrel with the owners of the several 

 fishery. 11 



The FOYLE, in County Londonderry, has, I am told 

 by Mr. Thomas M'Dermott, of the Fisheries Pro- 

 tection Association, considerably fallen off in recent 

 years. The cause is excessive drift-net fishing in 

 the sea at the mouth of the river and for many miles 

 on the coast. The nets increased from 10 in 1870 to 

 about 400 in 1905. They are on the average about 

 800 yards in length and 5 yards in depth salmon 

 swim high in the sea and form an impenetrable wall 



