114 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



as driven sheep do through a gate after a leader has discovered the 

 way. The recollection which is much more vivid, however, is how 

 we got our net hung up in almost every other pool. Cleeks, or 

 anchors, or " huds," in other words strong curved and often barbed 

 irons sunk in large stones in the river bed, had been introduced to 

 prevent poaching by net. The position of these was always pointed 

 out, and in every case had shifted to where we put in our net. 

 Hours were spent in the two or three short winter days, while the 

 net, torn to shreds, was spread out on the bank, and the netting 

 needles got out. I would not recommend any man to go poaching 

 the Dee with a good net. 



In the last 4 or 5 years the average take by rod from the Durris 

 Water has been about 350 fish, but I believe the year 1906 yielded 

 the great total of 1038. The water here is thoroughly characteristic of 

 the river Dee. The pools succeed one another in pleasant series ; no- 

 where too deep, but " streamy " interesting water. With West Durris, 

 Durris proper, and Lower Durris, Park Bridge is passed. The com- 

 bined Durris Water extends to about 7J miles, and is capable of 

 great results. Below Park we come into the reaches of the river, 

 which fish better in autumn than in spring. Early fish swim past 

 to a great extent, for the current is not much broken, and the usual 

 temperature not sufficient to act as a check. Drum, Culter, King- 

 causie, Blair, Murtle, Inchgarth, and Garthdee, brings us down to 

 the foot of the angling water. These are all on the left bank, with 

 both Kingcausie and Blair College fishing both banks. The remain- 

 ing waters on the right bank are Tilbouries, Altries, Heathcote and 

 Ardoe, and Banchory Devenick, from which last the nets have just 

 been removed. 



In the case of some of these low waters no very accurate records 

 are secured by the proprietors and the scores are not very great. I 

 have been favoured with a statement respecting the last 4 years in 

 the case of Altries. The totals are 23, 36, 31, and 30 fish. As may 

 be expected, however, some of the heaviest fish are taken in these 

 low reaches. 



Lord Granville Gordon, in his Sporting Reminiscences, has a chapter 

 " In Praise of Salmon Fishing," and in it are many good things well 

 told. After describing what the behaviour of a wild fish is like, and 

 how it usually gives rise to wild language, he continues, " While on 

 salmon memories, I may as well recall the death of the largest fish, 

 46 lb., that I ever killed. This was on the Dee. at Coulter, in the 

 big pool just below the railway station. I hooked him about a third 



