165 



about 20O yards down the stream, expanding at the same 

 time until they approach the respective shores j leaving 

 a channel on each side of about 2O feet broad, but con- 

 trived so as to be very shallow, the main body of the 

 water rushing through the cages. 



The salmo7i, attracted by the velocity of the stream in 

 the middle, and by the fall (often of many feet) into 

 them, are eager to rush into the cages, where they are 

 taken. None but ascending rislies are prized > as those 

 which bend their course downwards have spawned, and 

 are out of season. Nor, indeed, do tlxey usually descend 

 the streams until the fishing season is, by law, closed. 



There being sometimes distinct fisheries for the net 

 above cruives, which belong to other parties, the law 

 has interfered to prevent the rails from being set too close 

 together; else the value of the upper proprietors' fisheries 

 would be destroyed, and the produce of succeeding years 

 be considerably reduced. 



As it is, I must confess,, that mismanagement appears 



be somewhere existent ; for, with few exceptions, the 

 fisheries for salmon throughout Scotland, especially in 

 the Ness, which was formerly of the first rate, are con- 

 fessed by all to decline miserably 1 We can only attri- 

 bute one cause to such an effect, namely, the great rise 

 that has taken place within these few years, in the rents 

 of all the fisheries ; by which the fishers have been actu- 

 ated to narrow the cruives* as has been done, to my 

 knowledge, in some instances; thus taking fishes before, 

 they attain a good size. 



This is, in tact, eating all the chicks, and leaving none 

 to grow up into fowls, Besides, young fish, though, 



they 



