^42 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



Therefore, to the angler who does not wish to pay much for his 

 sport the Annan offers a large extent of fairly good fishing. 

 Naturally, where brown trout are concerned, these ticket waters 

 are not stocked as plentifully as those reaches which are kept in 

 private hands and lightly fished ; as far, however, as salmon, sea 

 trout, and herling go, every autumn flood brings fresh supplies to 

 distribute themselves over the whole river. On the lower reaches, 

 where the fish are fresher from the sea, they take the fly pretty 

 well, and each season some heavy ones are caught, even up to 

 50 lb. On the upper waters above Johnstone Bridge they do not 

 rise so freely, and the worm becomes more killing than the fly. 



The Annan is not a very well protected river, for there are only 

 a few regular water-bailiffs, helped by some thirty gamekeepers, 

 who are sworn in as such. If, however, a keeper has been attending 

 his master all day in the field, or if he really properly sees to the 

 many duties of game preserving, he will have but little spare time 

 for guarding fish. Hence there is a great deal of poaching carried 

 on with impunity both in the river itself and in the tributaries. It 

 is on record that at Milkfoot, in one night's work, seventy- two 

 spawning salmon were taken out with leisters ; and tradition has 

 it that the biggest of these was divided, the smallest half weighing 

 33 lb., while the whole capture was salted, packed into barrels, 

 and buried in a neighbouring moss until they could be removed 

 safely. 



Very few fish can enter the river until the nets come off, and 

 the few that did get in owed it chiefly to an agreement that at one 

 time existed between Mr. Mackenzie of Newbie and the upper 

 proprietors. By this arrangement Mr. Mackenzie, who owns the 

 four and a half miles immediately above the mouth, agreed to dis- 

 continue netting, provided the owners above did the same, and for 

 several years this worked very well until the anglers of Annan and 

 the so-called " four towns " declined to fall in with the scheme, 

 as they hold a charter from King James granting them a right of 

 angling on this water in return for some loyal action. 



As to spring angling, it does not exist. The local and other 

 newspapers reporting the capture of clean fish in some numbers in 

 March, April, and May are quite m error. Those who make these 

 reports may credit them, because they know no better, and also they 

 bring angling visitors to the Annan. As a matter of fact, these so- 

 calledclean fish are nothing more or less than well-mended kelts, which, 

 although thin and lanky, put on a silvery appearance. Mr. J. Bell 

 Irving, a sharp observer and a keen angler, tells me that in the ten 

 years that he has had Mount Annan he has never seen a spring 

 salmon in the river ! 



To fish the lower reaches properly, wadmg trousers are necessary, 

 and an eighteen-foot rod will be wanted. Until the ist of Septem- 

 ber minnows, worms, spoons, and other lures may be used, but 

 after that date the fly only is permitted on the lower waters. 

 Up to about fifteen miles above the mouth, salmon average 18 lb., 



