FISHING AT HOME AND ABROAD 



that all the small salmon rivers of Scotland have been too severely netted, 

 except in those cases where proprietors have adopted measures to allow 

 of a fair proportion of spawners to reach the upper waters. 



I have before me as I write the returns of the angling syndicate which 

 rented the Thurso for nearly fifty years, whence it appears clearly that 

 the fishery steadily deteriorated from the time that bag nets were first 

 set to work at Scrabster and elsewhere on the coast. Thus in 1863 seven 

 rods accounted for 1,510 fish weighing 14,666i^ lb.; while in 1887— the 

 last year included in the return — eight rods killed only 302 fish. So 

 seriously had the prospect of sport fallen off that about the close of the 

 century when their lease terminated the lessees made no attempt to have 

 it renewed. 



The most signal example of success in developing the angling resources 

 of a salmon river is that of the Helmsdale. Naturally far inferior in volume 

 to many other waters flowing into the Moray Firth, it has no superior in 

 attraction for the fly-fisher. In a course of twenty miles through Strath 

 UUie it presents a series of pools and rapid streams fulfilling the salmon- 

 angler's ideal. Always renowned for the excellence of its spring -fishing, 

 it was of little account during the summer months, for, so soon as the 

 snow disappeared from the uplands of Caithness and the lochs had dis- 

 charged the accumulation of winter fioods, the river dwindled to insignifi- 

 cance, and salmon collected near the mouth, being unable to ascend, were 

 netted out in thousands. 



The shooting and angling of the strath were let on long leases to six 

 tenants of the Duke of Sutherland, who became concerned on account 

 of the serious depletion of the stock of salmon in the river consequent 

 on the erection of bag nets along the coast towards Brora mouth in the year 

 1896. Previously to that year the only netting was done by net and coble 

 in the lower pools; and this, productive as it was, allowed plenty of fish 

 to run through in spring when the water was high. These nets did most 

 execution in summer when, as aforesaid, angling was impracticable owing 

 to want of water. But bag nets act independently of the state of the river, 

 and it soon became apparent that the run of spring fish was to be seriously 

 affected, if not destroyed, by the action of these automatic engines. In 

 1895 the net and coble took 4,619 salmon and grilse and the rods about 

 1,600 ; next year the bag nets were set up with the result that in 1899 

 they captured 8,658 salmon and grilse against 342 taken by net and coble 

 and 307 by rods. Clearly, action of a vigorous kind was necessary if the 

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