1 INTRODUCTION. 



the fish can be seen as they pass up over the shallows. On his 

 giving the signal that a salmon has ascended, the seine is shot 

 out, and a hundred to one the fish is caught. 



The upper waters suffer from poaching, which is carried on 

 to a greater extent than is generally known. Unfortunately this 

 nefarious trade is worked also during the spawning season, when 

 the fish are easily destroyed, but unfit for food. 



The thirty-six hours' close time does not apply fairly to all 

 rivers. For instance, when the netting is allowed for long dis- 

 tances from the mouth of the river, the thirty-six hours' close 

 time is insufficient for the fish to reach the open water. The 

 close time, therefore, should be a receding one ; giving the first 

 six miles the first thirty- six hours, the second thirty-six hours 

 would then reach the twelfth mile, and so on. By this plan 

 running fish would probably be able to pass up. 



One Saturday afternoon I arranged with the man in charge 

 of five nets to go out with him when he examined the bag for 

 salmon. When I reached his station I found him very dubious 

 whether he would go at all. " Why not ? " I asked him. " There 

 is too much wind, and I am thinking there'll be a bit of a sea 

 on." " Won't you be fined ? " I said. " I'm no' thinking so." 

 " Then I understand if you cannot take the wall off for the close 

 time from to-night till Monday on account of the weather being 

 too rough you won't be fined ? " " That 's so," he answered. 

 The point rather a fine one whether the weather was suffi- 

 ciently rough to make it impossible to lift the net was left to 

 this man. No overseer's or inspector's opinion was available or 

 necessary. This way of working these nets along a stretch of 

 coast where hundreds of nets are set is certainly not conducive 

 to the increase of salmon. 



I met at Aberdeen an intelligent fish-dealer who had very 

 decided opinions on the scarcity of salmon, the steady decrease 

 of which he attributed to two causes. First, the enormous number 

 of bag nets ; and secondly, the wholesale poaching, particularly 

 during the spawning time. The quantity of fish he was offered 

 and declined during this season appeared extraordinary. 



