394 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



rather quiet stretch. Some of the pools are so broad as to make 

 the use of a boat more or less necessary. These are the Kirk 

 Pool, just above Newton-Stewart, the Grey Stone, the Boat Pool, 

 and the West Mains Pool, all below Penninghame Boat House. 

 At other parts in this lower section of the river wading is an 

 advantage to the angler. 



As the river nears Newton-Stewart, it passes over two weirs, the 

 Kirk Pool weir and the Minnigaff weir, while below Newton- 

 Stewart Bridge there is a low weir to protect the foundations of the 

 bridge. All may be regarded as partial obstructions to the passage 

 of fish, but each has a simple form of pass which satisfies the 

 regulations. These obstructions are, moreover, not sufficient to 

 prevent the ascent of spring fish. 



A beautiful little stream called the Penkill Burn enters just 

 above Newton- Stewart. It is the sea-trout stream of the district, 

 but is pretty badly obstructed for the benefit of a large Newton- 

 Stewart Sawmill. 



Below the town the river soon becomes of very easy gradient, and 

 within a mile and a half begins to wind in the most marked 

 manner. This, the tidal area, as in other rivers entering the 

 Solway, has banks of extremely fine sandy mud, easily stirred by 

 the current. With the action of river and tides it is freely mingled 

 with the water, so that for six or seven miles the current is much 

 discoloured. Gross sewage from the town also mingles. Here the 

 land is quite flat, and the shores of Wigtown Bay, more especially on 

 the western side, dry at low water for a great distance. The limit 

 of the Cree district is reached at the mouth of a little burn called 

 the Bishop Burn, some two and a half miles north of Wigtown. On 

 the eastern side, however, the Cree district extends along the coast 

 to the entrance of Fleet Bay. In the matter of estuary the Cree 

 may be said to be treated generously, since the Cree, Bladenoch, and 

 Fleet are all included in a common estuary, which compasses the 

 whole of Wigtown Bay. In another sense, this large estuary is of 

 small service, since privileged fixed engines are fished far inside its 

 limits at Creetown, Kirkdale, Kirkbride, and also on the western 

 side. In all there are nine nets with twenty pockets. 



With regard to the net and coble fishing, the Cree is unhappily 

 in a retrograde position. A few years ago the nets were entirely 

 removed. At the present time the whole of the winding tidal 

 water is netted, as well as the Palnure Burn. Owing to the muddy 

 nature of the banks and their liability to change, no very precise 



