JUNE. DESTRUCTION OF SALMON. 237 



in good condition, and rise freely at the fly. The 

 grilse also are now in most of the rivers, and afford 

 better angling than any other fish, rising well, and 

 being strong and active when hooked. There ap- 

 pears of late years to be a great diminishing in the 

 number of salmon in all the Scotch rivers : the fish 

 are more protected from the angler, but are caught 

 and destroyed in so many other ways — by constant 

 netting in the streams, by innumerable stake-nets, 

 bag-nets, etc., all along the coasts — that they have 

 but little chance of keeping up their numbers. 

 From one end of Scotland to the other along the 

 whole extent of the coast, these destructive nets 

 are fixed at every convenient place. Near the 

 mouth of every stream, large or small, they are to 

 be seen, and immense must be the number of fish 

 taken to repay the expense of keeping them up, 

 and renewing the stakes, netting, etc., every spring, 

 and frequently also after severe storms. Near the 

 little stream of Nairn there are no less than three 

 of these nets, and as many more between that 

 point and the Findhorn, all of which are exposed 

 to a heavy sea, which must make the expense of 

 keeping them in repair very great. 



On the bar, which is a kind of island, there is a 

 solitary hut, where two or three fishermen pass the 

 spring and summer. In the latter end of winter. 



