236 SALMON FISHING 



trout destroys many thousands of samlets on their 

 way to the sea. He mentions, also, that the pollution 

 has been stopped, and is confident that the river will 

 recover speedily. 



The DOVEY, the DYSYNNI, the ARTRO, the DWYRYD, 

 and the PRYSOR, are well preserved. Excellent 

 sport is to be found on them, and there is no 

 decline in the stock of fish. This I learn from 

 R. D. Richards, Barmouth, who, in a very interesting 

 letter, goes on to say : " In the MAWDDACH there is 

 a falling-off in the stock. That river, unfortunately, 

 flows past gold mines the only gold mines in the 

 kingdom, I am informed and the whole of the 

 crushings are discharged into the stream, giving the 

 water a milky-white appearance. The discharge of 

 crushings, which is as fine as powder, cannot fail to 

 affect the fisheries injuriously. It settles in the form 

 of a pasty mass, and is sufficient, apparently, to 

 smother the spawn beds. It cannot be proved that 

 the sludge is actually poisonous to fish. Our Board, 

 consequently, have no remedy. They have en- 

 deavoured, unsuccessfully, to prevail upon the 

 companies working the mines to erect catch -pits. 

 Also, they have petitioned the County Council, 

 the Sanitary Authority, to proceed under the Rivers 

 Pollution Act. The Council are averse from the 

 thought of exercising their power. They do not 

 wish to interfere with an industry which gives 

 employment to hundreds of men. However, there is 

 a large and important tributary of the Mawddach, 

 the WNION, which flows in about five miles from 



