228 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



only lure used or allowed in the Helmsdale or other Sutherland 

 estate rivers. 



The Helmsdale tenants do not fish each his own particular 

 water, but the river being divided into beats, and the railway and 

 a road running one on each side of the strath, the various beats are 

 " pooled " and fished by each in rotation, as will be described later. 



Since the beats are taken in descending order, any unfair advan- 

 tage which might arise through a man working up-stream and 

 following a shoal of fish is obviated. For convenience, the tenants 

 of Auchintoul and Badanloch Lodges at the top of the river have 

 erected small lodges in the lower part of the strath to suit the early 

 fishing. 



The bag net fishing on the coast began in February, 1896, a lease 

 having been given for a period of fifteen years; but the angling 

 tenants bought them off in Martinmas, 1899, so that this fishing 

 lasted for only four years. Sweep netting at the mouth of the river 

 had previously been carried on for a long period, although since 

 1876 this netting began only on 1st May, after which year the 

 stock of spring fish in the river very naturally improved. With 

 the advent of bag netting the sweep net fishing at once fell off, and 

 when the bag nets were removed the sweep nets were also taken 

 from the water. The year 1899, therefore, marks the cessation of 

 all netting in this district. 



The return on the following page -shows the catches by nets and 

 rods, and is of considerable interest. 



In the 33 years of net and coble fishing before the bag nets came 

 into use, and including the first year of bag net fishing, there are 

 only two years in which the takes were under 1000, viz. in 1879 

 and 1880. The average for the 33 years is 2557 fish (salmon and 

 grilse). Immediately after the commencement of bag net fishing 

 the results fall to 820, 348, and 342. 



The four years of bag net fishing show an average of 6092 fish. 

 At the end of this period the nets were bought off by the angling 

 tenants, who found that the supply of fish in the river had most 

 materially decreased. 



There are three quinquennial periods of rod returns, the first 

 being only approximate, the second commencing two years after the 

 commencement of the bag netting, and the third ending with 1907. 

 The first gives an average of 971, the second, being that following 

 and apparently affected by the bag netting, giving an average of 

 only 620, and the last rising to the substantial average of 1217. 



