155 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



the distillers were signally defeated, and a horrible pollution put 

 an end to. Now there are many other rivers suffering more damage 

 from other kinds of pollutions than the great, strong-running 

 Spey suffered from this one, and therefore the result of the Spey 

 case should inspire all proprietors whose rivers are being spoilt 

 by pollutions to at once commence proceedings, for the result must 

 inevitably be in their favour ; and to the Countess Dowager of 

 Seafield and to the Spey proprietors generally, the owners of other 

 rivers suffering from pollution are deeply indebted for having so 

 patiently and so pluckily brought the matter to a successful issue. 



So far as ascertainable this is the only river on which the number 

 of spawning beds is counted each season. They vary from 5500 

 to 7500. As a hen fish of 10 lb. is stated to deposit 20,000 ova, 

 six thousand spawners of 10 lb. each would deposit 120,000,000 

 of eggs ! These beds entail a vast amount of work to the fish ; 

 they are not just mere scrapes and shallow depressions ; plenty of 

 them would make a burial-place for a dead sheep, and I have seen 

 a few that would serve the same purpose for a donkey ! 



The death of the late Duke of Richmond in the autumn of 1903 

 called his successor to the chairmanship of the Spey District Board, 

 and in 1905 an arrangement was come to with the Upper proprietors 

 to confine the netting to the lowest three miles of the river instead 

 of to the eight miles that had previously been fished by them. 

 Thus from the Chain Bridge at Orton for five miles downstream 

 netting was discontinued. The consequences were that the 

 Delfur anglings just above Orton Bridge and the five miles of river 

 on which netting had been stopped quickly became very productive 

 and valuable spring anglings, which are at present in great request 

 even at the seemingly high rents they readily command. 



Here are the rod catches made on the various fishings owned 

 by Mr. J. W. H. Grant of Elchies in season 1912 : — 



From nth February to 15th October . 57S ,, „ 



On the Laggan water in June, Captain Ewing got twenty-four 

 salmon, seven grilse, and sixteen sea trout in the first nine days 

 of July, and from nth February to 23rd April, fifty-nine salmon. 

 Extent about two miles on north or left bank : fourteen pools all 

 requiring wading. 



On Wester Elchies, in 1910, Mr. T. R. Merton and friends caught 

 in nine days' fishing, from ist to 31st August, four salmon and twelve 

 grilse ; in twelve days' fishing in September, seven salmon and ten 

 grilse ; in seven days in October, two salmon and five grilse ; or in 

 twenty-eight days, thirteen salmon and twenty-seven grilse. 



In 1911, Mr. Merton got for seven days' fishing in August, three 



