220 SALMON FISHING 



Yet another reason, probably, is that the spawning 

 ground is limited, only a few fish being able to 

 get above the weirs at Axminster, Weycroft, and 

 Coaxdon." 



The OTTER also is in a bad way, and the Fishery 

 Board is defunct. 



The EXE salmon fishing has been going from bad 

 to worse. Mr. H. Ford attributes this to " over- 

 fishing, both in the tidal and in inland waters, by 

 nets ; bad conditions of flow, the result, to a great 

 extent, of the abstraction of water for towns and the 

 large drainage operations which have been going on 

 now for so many years, resulting in the river being 

 after rain in heavy flood for a brief period, which 

 used not to be the case when the land held the rain 

 in suspension, and gradually gave it off instead of 

 discharging it at once, as is now the case; and 

 pollution. Within a comparatively recent time, 

 however, a slight improvement has been noticed. 

 This is ascribed to the taking-off of certain nets 

 in more or less inland waters during the early weeks 

 of the season, and to the lessening of pollution. 

 What the future will bring forth it is impossible 

 to say; but if further restrictions on over -fishing 

 could be enforced, and the condition of the river, as 

 far as pollutions are concerned, further ameliorated, 

 we should have, practically, conditions of flow only 

 to act as a hindrance. I have no reason for thinking 

 that the stock of fish is otherwise than good." 



The TEIGN fishery records for the past twenty-five 

 years do not disclose such a falling-off in the stock 



