2 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



The fish run from 7 to 10 lb., although each season some are 

 got which scale from 15 to 20 lb. v^y of the small standard 

 patterns will kill ; perhaps the best are the Doctors, Jock Scot, 

 and Childers. No waders are wanted, and the fly is the only lure 

 used. The river rises and falls with such great quickness that only 

 those residing on the spot have any chance of sport. 



One of the proprietors \\Tites :'" I am sorry to thmk our High- 

 land rivers are going from bad to worse ; indeed, unless rmited action 

 is taken all over Scotland for the better protection of salmon and the 

 establishment of hatcheries, our rivers wll soon not be worth 

 fishing. Poor as it has been, angling has yet added materially to 

 the value of the shooting rents, and if the fishing is allowed to fall 

 away to nothing, surely the shooting rents will fall also, and there- 

 fore it is to the interests of all proprietors to take the matter up 

 earnestly." 



This sensible letter only confirms the plain-spoken report made 

 by the Clerk to the Alness District Board to the Fishery Board for 

 Scotland, and though dated as far back as 1895 and repeated m 

 each succeeding report, no steps have been taken by the Fishery 

 Board for Scotland to remedy the evils so graphically described. 



Thus as follows writes the Clerk to the Alness Board : " The 

 systematic and wholesale poaching in the Cromarty Firth by 

 fishermen from Cromarty is causing much loss. Last spring six 

 boat crews (thirty men) were engaged in fishing for sea trout in the 

 Cromarty Firth, inside the Sutors of Cromarty, with sweep or trawl 

 nets about two hundred yards long and with small meshes. They fish 

 in much the same way as salmon fishers do, shooting out their nets and 

 hauling them on the beach. They pretend to be fishing for flounders 

 and other white fish, but it is well kno\\Ti that but for the sea trout 

 they could not make anything of this mode of fishing. In conse- 

 quence of the system of watching maintained by the Local Board 

 this mode of fishing is now chiefly carried on at night, but the Board 

 are practically powerless to suppress it then, as the fishermen are in 

 great force, resist apprehension, can seldom be identified, and the 

 sea trout are got rid of before a capture can be made. The Board 

 have for some years been incurring an expenditure which involves 

 a very heavy tax on the owners of salmon fishings in the district, 

 in order to suppress this destructive and illegal fishing, but for 

 the reasons referred to have only met with limited success. Unless 

 the Fishery Board takes steps to prevent trawling of this kind 

 there is grave reason to fear that the Alness will by and by cease 

 to be a sea trout river." 



A strong and clear statement like the foregoing, but published 

 only in a Fishery Board Report, is not likely to be seen by either 

 land or water thieves — the former, however, are very fully aware 

 that the land police are an unfortunate fact, that they are capable 

 and powerful, and able to deal with any land poaching. The water 

 thieves, on the contrary, know from experience that the water police 

 are incapable of preventing water poaching, and know that though 



