THE TAY 67 



From reports published as to season 1908, it appears that Upper 

 and Lower Stobhall and Eedgorton produced 215 salmon in the 

 autumn, and Taymount about 100. In the previous autumn, which 

 was an average one with a goodish finish, the results as published in 

 the Fishing Gazette?- show that in the last seven days' fishing those 

 lower waters produced 99 fish as under : 



Murthly Castle - - - 10 



Islamouth - - - 14 



Kereoch ----- 1 



Upper Cargill 6 



Lower Cargill 5 



Willie's Stone 2 



Stobhall 30 



Burnmouth, Stobhall .*' 4 



Burnmouth ' v - - 5 



Stanley - ; 5 



Benchill - - - - 2 



Upper Redgorton - - 4 



Lower Eedgorton and Bertha 9 

 Luncarty - - - 2 



With regard to the Taymount autumn fishing, Mr. Charles 

 Murray, who has been associated with this water for so long, has 

 kindly informed me that his best year showed a total of 275 fish. 

 This is only the fishing of alternate days after the nets are off. The 

 best score in spring was obtained in 1908, the total being 74. On 

 two occasions 20 fish have been caught by one rod in a day. Mr. 

 Murray himself took, on the lower beat on a day when the upper 

 beat was unfortunately not being fished, 16 salmon and 4 grilse 

 weighing 355 Ib. On the other great day, curiously enough, the 

 numbers of grilse and salmon were exactly reversed. Eev. the 

 Hon. Eobert Liddle took 16 grilse and 4 salmon. " On both days 

 the fish were rising hard all day and would have taken anything," 

 Mr. Murray writes. Perhaps other people might have landed fewer 

 however. Figuratively, I take off my hat to any one who can kill a 

 48 Ib. fish in fifteen minutes as Mr. Murray has done. The heaviest 

 fish taken out of the Taymount Water was a 54 pounder killed by 

 Lord Euthven several years ago. 



The heaviest rod-caught fish from this lower part of the Tay for 

 the last eight years are as follow : 



1908 " - 48 Ib. 



1907 48 



1906 - - 41 



1905 - - 51 



1904 - - 45 Ib. 



1903 - - 51 ,, 



1902 - - 46 



1901 47 



Some heavier fish, as already stated, have been taken in the tidal 

 reaches during this period. This supports the impression which has 

 been pretty strongly borne in upon me during recent years, that a 

 few quite exceptionally heavy salmon, males, which do not enter 



1 October 26, 1907. 



