100 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



Morphie Water is not netted for the first month of the season. In 

 this first month in 1909 reports showed that Lord Dalhousie and 

 party took 75 fish. They twice got 20 fish in a week, and had a 

 day of 12 fish, on Friday, 19th March. 



The pass in the Craigo Dyke, or the goil as it is locally called, was 

 erected in 1867 under the supervision of the Court of Session. On 

 the merits of this goil I do not propose to enter. Its every feature 

 has been studied and fully described elsewhere, and this is not 

 intended to be a contentious treatise. I may refer, however, to 

 some interesting evidence given about it before Lord Elgin's Com- 

 mission, from which it appears that in February, 1881, the structure 

 was broken down by floods, and that it remained in this broken- 

 down state till the summer of 1882, "and during that time," says a 

 witness representing the upper interests, " we enjoyed wonderfully 

 good fishing. Personally, I caught 23 fish in seven days' fishing 

 in a bit of water 200 yards long, and I have not caught 23 fish 

 altogether since." This was said in 1900. The witness continues, 

 " As a matter of fact, in that year at least 220 fish were killed, 

 100 in Millden Water, which is six miles above the Loups, and 

 120 in Invermark. Mr. Shiell, who is Lord Dalhousie's factor, says 

 that there were 300 that year. The usual catch is two, three, or 

 four. ... I can prove that one man alone caught between 50 and 

 60 to his own rod above the Loups when the Craigo dam was 

 breached." This evidence is not only extremely significant as to the 

 usual effect of Craigo Dyke, but also indicates what the value of 

 the upper waters might be if the fish had better chance to ascend. 



It is contended by some in the district that if the regulations of 

 the Salmon Fishery (Scotland) Act, 1868, respecting salmon passes 

 were rigidly complied with at Craigo, the dyke would offer a greater 

 obstruction to the passage of salmon than it does at present. This 

 is not flattering to the Salmon Acts, but no doubt it would not be 

 difficult to suggest a pass of a much better type than the one 

 indicated by Schedule G of the Act referred to. As a matter of 

 fact, a plan of a quite good pass is in existence, drawn specially for 

 Craigo. The difficulty is the consent to its erection. I have no 

 hesitation in saying that the dyke in its present form is much 

 against the best interests of the river, and that if the North Esk 

 was owned entirely by one individual, or owned by a number of 

 proprietors who unitedly strove for the best interests of the salmon 

 fisheries, this dyke and Morphie Dyke would long ere this have been 

 rendered easily surmountable to salmon. 



