CHAPTER LXI V 



THE AYR, IRVINE, AND GARNOCK 



These three Ayrshire streams are hardly worth mentioning from 

 the angler's point of view, for salmon are, as nearly as possible, 

 extinct in their waters. 



The Ayr is the largest river of the county, with a run of about 

 forty miles. Up till 1896 there was no District Board, and for 

 many years prior to the formation of one the Ayr was subjected to 

 every evil to which a salmon river could possibly be exposed. There 

 was no attempt made to observe the close times ; smolts and par 

 were caught by myriads, while in the lower reaches, as fish ascended 

 the mill dams, they were gaffed by the mill hands. In the middle 

 reaches they were poisoned by pollutions from chemical works and 

 cotton mills ; while, if a few lucky fish survived all perils, and 

 succeeded in gaining the upper waters, they were certain to be 

 destroyed on the spawning beds by the colliers. In addition, bag- 

 and stake -nets were worked close to the river mouth, so small 

 wonder the salmon were almost wholly kiUed off. Yet in or about 

 the year 1810 there are records that tell of cartloads of fish being 

 taken from this river by net and coble, while as late as seventy 

 years ago this was one of the rivers where it was the custom of the 

 farm-servants on its banks to stipulate they should not be obliged 

 to eat salmon more than three days in the week. At Catrine, 

 sixteen miles from the mouth, there are dams which are impassable ; 

 but as the opening up of these would only take fish into a thickly 

 populated mining district, where it would be impossible to protect 

 them except at a very great expense, it has been proposed to 

 concentrate all efforts for the restoration of the fish on the sixteen 

 miles between Catrine and the sea, which admits of much easier 

 protection, and holds many fine pools and spawning grounds. 



The smaller streams of the Irvine and Garnock fall into the 

 sea ten miles north of Ayr, and as salmon streams they are totally 

 destroyed, though there are no fishing stations in the river, or in 

 the estuary, or on the seacoast within six miles of the river mouth. 

 Now and again, during a prolonged spate, a few fish are said to 

 enter them, but only to be destroyed by poison as soon as the 

 waters subside, and the fatal pollutions regain their strength. 



In 1896 the Ayr County Council began to take steps to banish 

 these deadly pollutions ; and in doing this they ought to be 

 successful, for since the Countess of Seafield gained her action, and 



