18 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



weather. There was a wonderful week in November, 1903, for 

 instance, when 



Upper Floors produced - - - - - 65 



Lower Floors * -: . .- > ; * 78 



Ednam > ,.*. ...... . - 20 



Hendersyde - - '-''-. - 63 



Birgham *. "- - - - 65 



291 in one week 



The total for Lower Floors is, I think, the highest week's score for 

 the river. The average weight of the 78 fish was 19 Ib. 



The late Colonel Malcolm of Poltalloch had some great fishing on 

 Makerston Water. A good four days' catch is reported in the Fur, 

 Feather, and Fin Series (Salmon, p. 135). It occurred in October 

 1873. Colonel Malcolm had 12, 14, and 15 fish on three consecutive 

 days, and on the fourth day his neighbour, Mr. Dennison (of Ness 

 fame), fished his rod, and had 16, i.e. 57 fish in four days. With 

 regard to Makerston totals for the season, I am able to give the 

 catches of Mr. Cockburn, who fished in 1882, 1883, 1884, and 1885. 

 These were, salmon and grilse taken together, 157, 209, 131, and 214. 

 In 1891, Mr. Justice Madden had 91 fish in three weeks. 



Floors Water has the distinction of having yielded the heaviest 

 rod-caught Tweed fish. It weighed 57 J Ib., and was caught on 

 27th October, 1886. Through the kindness of Sir Eichard Waldie 

 Griffith, who has one of the three full-size photographs of it in his 

 smoking-room, I am able to give the measurements. 



Length - - 53 inches 



Girth at back fin - - - - 28| 



Girth behind head - - - - 26 



Breadth of tail - - -- - - 14 



Length of head 13 



The fish was a male, as all those extra big salmon are, and is 

 reported to have been firm in the flesh, of a very good colour on the 

 back, and a little red on the belly. I am able, through the kindness 

 of Mr. W. K. Plummer, to give a small representation of the full-size 

 photograph which hangs in Kelso. The third photograph, I under- 

 stand, hangs in Floors Castle, where the fish was carried and weighed 

 at the end of the day, by its captor, Mr. Pryor. 



While referring to big fish, I may mention that, in Mertoun 

 Water in December, 1907, a fish was found dead which weighed 

 60 Ib. Is it possible that some lucky man may yet beat Mr. 

 Pryor's monster ? From an examination of its scales, made by 

 Mr. H. W. Johnston, it appears that the fish was nearly eight years 



