4 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



In the following pages the salmon angler's interests are those 

 chiefly kept in view. A descriptive account of each river of import- 

 ance being attempted, and the various physical features, the 

 conditions which have been brought about by the action of 

 man, as injurious or as helpful to the fisheries, are touched upon. 

 As far as possible, without introducing matter of a private nature, 

 particulars are given to show the productiveness of the various 

 fishings, and I would here express my indebtedness to very many 

 proprietors who have consented to my publishing the records of 

 their waters. 



In no sense is an attempt here made to criticise in any exhaustive 

 way the various factors which crop up as adverse to the best 

 interests of the salmon fisheries. A book such as this is clearly not 

 the place where more or less delicate matter of this kind can be 

 fully dealt with. Most valuable interests are frequently involved, 

 and although my chief desire is to support and improve our salmon 

 fisheries, I do not go so far as to say that all other interests must 

 be regarded as subservient to them. But, at the same time, I feel 

 that to deal in a really useful way with the particular features of 

 each salmon river, it is necessary to notice features which I conceive 

 to be adverse to the best interests of the rivers, many of which have 

 already for the most part been dealt with by me in a series of 

 reports bound in blue paper covers, and therefore only to be 

 regarded, I presume, as ordinary waste paper. 



The broad lines of salmon fishery improvement have been of late 

 years pretty generally recognised. The service rendered to the 

 country by the Elgin Commission on Salmon Fisheries is far greater 

 than most people suppose. Never was there so enlightened and so 

 complete a review of the whole situation, so definite and so thorough 

 a grasp of what is most needed for the conservation and improve- 

 ment of the salmon interests. Unhappily as yet no practical result 

 has been attained therefrom, but I venture to think it is very 

 certain that when legislation does come about, it is bound to follow 

 the general lines laid down by the Royal Commission Report referred 

 to. The reduction of netting in narrow waters where fish congre- 

 gate before ascending to their natural spawning grounds ; the 

 opening up of barriers to ascent; the adjusting of the weekly close 

 time ; the purification of pollutions ; the fuller control of District 

 Fishery Boards and of the Supervising Central Authority; and a 

 considerable number of lesser points dependent therefrom, are all 

 necessities which the experience of forty years of our present salmon 



