438 



Report to the Experimental Committee of the Tweed 



Commission. 

 I have the honour to report that the Experimental Committee 

 held five meetings since 15th September, 1874, viz : — 

 On 5th November, 1874, at Carham Pond. 

 On 14th April, 1875, at Do. 



On 20th May, 1875, at Union Bridge. 

 On 27th May, 1875, at Melrose. 

 On 22nd July, 1875, at Carham Pond. 

 The meetings at Carham pond were held for the purpose of 

 catching the fish kept therein, and having them examined by 

 practical fishermen and by Members of Committee. 



Upon each occasion the fish were found to have grown con- 

 siderably, and the greater part had assumed the Black Tail and 

 Whitling appearance — although, apparently, owing to their 

 confinement in the pond, they had a darker appearance than fish 

 of the same description taken from the river. 



At each of the meetings, a fish taken from the pond was killed 

 for preservation. 



The meeting at Union Bridge was called for the purpose of 

 marking Orange Fins, and the following fish were marked by 

 inserting numbered silver and copper wires in their tails, viz : — 



Orange Fins, 249 



Salmon Smolts, .... .... 7 



Total, 256 



The Committee met at Melrose to ascertain if it is practicable, 

 when a great number of Salmon Kelts have collected in the cauld 

 pool there on account of dry weather, to catch them with a net 

 and put them over the cauld. A few shots were rowed, and 8 

 fish caught ; but the experiment was not successful, as the fish 

 put below the cauld did not go down the river, but remained in 

 shallow water within reach of poachers. 



During the last spring the fisherman at Scotch New Water, 

 Yardford, Ethermouth, and Broad kept alive in corfes the Grilse 

 Kelts which they caught when fishing, and 91 of these fish were 

 marked by the bailiffs in the tail with silver wires, and returned 

 alive to the river. 



Since my last Eeport, seven marked fish have been recaptured, 

 of which full details are given in the annexed return ; and with 

 the exception of a Grilse Kelt recaptured a few days after it had 

 been marked, the other fish had been marked in September and 

 October, 1873, when they were Black Tails, and when recaptured 

 they were Whitlings — the increase in size and weight, as shown 

 in the return, being of great impoitance in solving the question 

 whether a Whitling becomes a Sea Trout. 



G. H. LIST, C.C. 



County Police Office, Dunse, lQth August, 1875. 



