234 SALMON FISHING 



been if we had had the usual rainfall. Far from 

 there being a falling-off in the number of fish visiting 

 the river, I believe that during these few years there 

 have been more salmon on the spawning beds than 

 ever, and certainly there has been no decrease in the 

 number of young salmon, locally called ' salmon pink.' 

 If only we have for a year or so a normal rainfall, 

 the fishing, I believe, will recover. The effect of the 

 bad seasons has been to diminish the funds available 

 for payment of water bailiffs; which means that 

 poaching and killing fish by illegal methods have 

 increased. One of the difficulties with which Boards 

 of Conservators have now to deal is that of obtain- 

 ing means to keep up the proper staff of water 

 bailiffs." 



The DWYFAWR, the DWYFACH, the ERCH, and the 

 SOCH, in Carnarvonshire, are cheerfully reported on by 

 Mr. David Jones, Portmadoc. "Until seven years 

 ago," he writes, " these rivers were left almost entirely 

 unprotected. There was a lack of proper interest 

 in them. The Board of Conservators had no funds, 

 no bailiffs. In 1897 the membership was reduced 

 from 36 to 11, and the County Council appointed 

 to the Board energetic sportsmen, who took the 

 preservation of the rivers seriously in hand. Now 

 we have two permanent bailiffs and sufficient funds 

 to put on temporary men when needed. This has 

 had a quick influence for good. I have fished these 

 rivers for twenty years, and I find that the trout 

 have improved wonderfully in size and number. 

 Last season a professional angler had on several 



