BY THE REV. K. F. WHEELER, M.A. 243 



THE TYNE SALMON FISHERIES. 



The effects of the rainfall on the produce of salmon fisheries 

 was remarked upon in the "Meteorological Report for 1867," 

 and it is very probable that the state of the fisheries in the Tyne 

 during the years 1869 and 1870 may throw much light on this 

 subject. 



The year 1868 was not a good fishery year for the river fisher- 

 men, though very far better than the years before the recent 

 measures for increasing the number of salmon began to take 

 effect, 



Mr. George Clayton Atkinson, together with many others, 

 considers that the deficient number of fish was in some degree 

 to be attributed to the want of water in the river, but mainly 

 to the great number of nets at the mouth of the Tyne and in 

 the sea. 



The editor, with others who have given great attention to the 

 subject, is decidedly inclined to attribute the short comings of 

 the river fisheries altogether to the paucity of water in the river. 

 The fish were observed again and again to quit the sea and make 

 the attempt to work their way up the river and then to turn 

 back again. 



The sea fishery was very productive ; and had it not been for 

 the enterprise of the sea fishermen the public would have been 

 deprived of a very large amount of excellent food ; and surely 

 this is the right way to look at the question, and not as between 

 the owners of the upper waters and the fishermen at the estuary 

 and sea. It must be remembered, too, that great as were the 

 number of salmon captured, they were not more than some half 

 dozen moderate sized fish which were capable of producing. It 

 is to be hoped that ere long the Woodburn Dam will disappear, 

 and other obstructions to the free passage of the salmon to the 

 upper waters will be removed. Then will the Tyne have a fair 

 chance of becoming by far the best salmon river in the United 

 Kingdom, 



