288 APPENDIX 



The interests below may possibly desire to see the salmon no 

 higher than Nursling Mill itself, and therefore a modus vivendi 

 should be possible which would ensure the best results for 'all 

 the various interests. At present, however, those interested 

 respectively in salmon and trout fishing are on opposite sides 

 of the camp. 



Are the interests, however, of the salmon and trout fisher- 

 men antagonistic ? If they are not so, then the sooner the 

 fact is recognized the better for both parties. The only argu- 

 ment in favour of permitting salmon to run above Mottisfont, 

 or above Mortimer's Island, which can possibly be used, is 

 that the decrease in salmon is owing to the want of sufficient 

 spawning-grounds in the lower reaches of these rivers. If 

 salmon required more spawning-ground and could only obtain 

 such by ascending these rivers, it might be necessary to allow 

 them to ascend, but to a certain limited extent, and for spawn- 

 ing purposes alone. 



But taking the case of the Test as an example, I fail to see 

 how such an argument can be advanced as an excuse for 

 injuring the trout river, or, indeed, any claim made in favour 

 of such a necessity. 



Excellent beds for spawning exist up to Romsey, five miles 

 above tidal waters ; but a very large percentage of salmon 

 spawn below Nursling, in both the Test and the Little River, 

 and in the remainder in the river as far as the island above 

 Romsey, while the very few which get up to Stockbridge in 

 the winter are not heard of again. There is ample spawning- 

 ground between the tidal waters and the island above Romsey 

 for tens of thousands of other fish, if there were these numbers 

 to spawn ; but, unfortunately, there are no such quantities of 

 fish returning to the river, and the numbers which do return 

 are perceptibly decreasing each year, although the water 

 favourable to, and available for, spawning purposes has not in 

 any way been curtailed. Hence the argument that more 

 salmon would return to the river if more extensive spawning- 

 grounds were opened falls to the ground ; and as spawning- 



