396 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



was 25th July, when 5 salmon and 3 grilse were taken by one of 

 the rods. 



In 1900 the river had been divided into eight beats, numbers 5 

 and 7 only coming into possession of the Association in the middle 

 of May. In 1901 the water was redivided into 7 beats as follows : 



No. 1. From sea to Linloskin. 



No. 2. From Linloskin to Penninghame. 



No. 3. From Penninghame to Clachaneasy Bridge. 



No. 4. From Clachaneasy Bridge to Bargrennan Linn. 



No. 5. From Bargrennan Linn to the Ayrshire March. 



No. 6. From Minnock Foot to the top of the stream above the 

 Eoman Bridge. 



No. 7. From the top of the stream above Eoman Bridge to the 

 Ayrshire March. 



In 1901 a flood came on 6th March, and next day the first fish 

 was taken. The water again falling low, sport was slight, and 

 although a spate came in April few fish came up, and only 32 salmon 

 were got during that month. In the latter part of the month there 

 was too much high water, and the large number of fish that came 

 up then yielded little sport when the river fell dead low in May, 

 the greater part of June, and the whole of July. " Many fish died 

 at the linns, not from Saprolegnia, but some from injuries received 

 in jumping upon the rocks, others apparently from asphyxia." The 

 Association's total for the season to end of July was only 60 salmon 

 and 28 grilse, but the total for the whole season from all sources 

 seems to have been 229 salmon and 9 sea-trout. 



In 1902 spring fish were not very numerous in Cree, or for that 

 matter in many Scottish rivers. March produced 5, April 26, May, 

 June, and July were disappointing. The total for the year was 47 

 salmon and 16 grilse. At the untimely end of the Chronicle is the 

 brief note : 



" Explicit the Cree Crew : Lord Galloway having succeeded in his 

 action in the Courts for voiding the lease granted by his brother." 



It will be noticed from the brief summary I have given that 

 while the first season of the Association was full of promise, the two 

 succeeding seasons were lean years for the rod, owing partly to 

 scarcity of spring fish which, of course, could not be expected to 

 make steady recovery in so short a time and partly to unfavour- 

 able weather conditions and scarcity of water. 



Since 1903 the nets have again been in full swing. 



