THE DEE loi 



The spring angling on these lower reaches, which are quite near 

 the sea, is never of much account, ^ though the sport they yield in 

 autumn is excellent, for the fish of September and October, in lieu 

 of pushing their way up stream, like those of the spring months, are 

 content with a short journey, while they are much heavier, and will 

 average about 17 lb. 



The spring fishing commences at or about Durris Bridge ; 

 the autumn fishing commences about Dinnet Bridge, on the Glen 

 Tana water, and gets better and better as it nears the sea — the very 

 cream of it being, perhaps, from the top of the Ballogie water down 

 to the end of the Culter water. 



It has been repeatedly suggested that it would be better for 

 the fish if the rod season began on the ist of February, or even the 

 middle of January, and closed on the 20th of October, which ex- 

 tension of spring fishing would be an ample compensation to the 

 anglers for tlie ten days deducted from the autumn season, and would 

 save the lives of many fish nearly ready to spawn. If that were 

 ordered, and the nets stopped on the 20th of August, instead of on 

 the 26th, then verily I believe the sport yielded by this well-managed 

 river might be nearly doubled, and advances obtained even on the 

 enormously high prices already paid for the angling on it ; also, 

 if the river was opened earlier, it would probably lead to the framing 

 of some rule rendering the carrying of a landing-net compulsory, 

 for there would assuredly be very large numbers of kelts hooked, 

 whose interests would have to be guarded. Indeed, it is somewhat 

 remarkable that such a rule has not already been made. Good 

 sportsmen, of course, " tail " their kelts and return them un- 

 injured ; bad and careless ones allow the kelts to be gaffed and 

 flung back to the water to die, for very few survive — and that is a 

 practice that every gentleman should set his face against. Person- 

 ally, I should like to see a law passed which would put a penalty 

 on gaffing a kelt, and then anglers might be left to their own devices, 

 for the use of a net necessitates an attendant, which is sometimes 

 a bore. The bulk of the Dee kelts fall back to the sea during the 

 months of March and April, and in that period there must be some 

 thousands of them hauled ashore by the river rods. 



In 1872 that wonderfully successful Association was formed 

 which has made the Dee the best anghng river in Scotland, and it 

 is extraordinary that the splendid results attained have not stimu- 

 lated the proprietors of other rivers to unite together and follow the 

 example thus set. 



The Association, with the Marquis of Huntly and the late 

 Sir William Cunliffe Brooks at its head, was formed entirely with 

 the view of improving the angling, which was then fast becoming 

 worthless. Commencing at Banchory, seventeen miles distant from 

 the mouth, one by one, as funds permitted, the river nets were 

 leased and removed. In this manner, during the first ten years of 

 its existence, the Association spent nearly £4000, until at length 



• See later remarks. 



