244 SALMON FISHING 



The Association occasionally turn in two-year-old 

 trout, and the number of tickets issued annually 

 is about two hundred and fifty. We experimented 

 with rainbow trout. All of them went to the sea, 

 and some were taken in the nets." 



The TYNE has fallen upon evil days. Mr. J. 

 Harbottle, Wyndale, Corbridge-on-Tyne, well known 

 as sportsman and as man of letters, writes 



"Judging from the reports about the nets, one 

 cannot doubt there has been a falling-off. In some 

 years the sea fishermen scarcely earn enough to pay 

 their licenses. On the other hand, we have some- 

 times had a sudden increase in a season's yield, 

 bringing both profit to the nets and sport to the 

 rods. That happened in 1905. The rains were 

 timely. Over the last thirty years, however, there 

 has been a decline. When we have had a rich 

 season, the Coquet and the Tweed have had similar 

 fortune. Since 1894 a good many of the nets have 

 become less hurtful in consequence of extensive 

 dredging of the river and deepening of the channel. 

 This permitted the tidal flow to pass about a mile 

 and a half farther inland, giving the fish a slightly 

 better chance of running to the spawning beds. 

 One of the main causes of the present unsatisfactory 

 state of salmon fishing is the long stretch of polluted 

 water. The fish have to face about twenty miles of 

 tidal water heavily navigated. Then, there is per- 

 sistent netting in the narrow reaches of the river and 

 above the tidal water. Besides, the weekly slap is 

 much too short. Further, the drainage of large 



