« 

 254 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



incessant use of the sweep-nets has nearly annihilated the sea 

 trout. 



For the last eight miles of its course the bed of the Stinchar, 

 composed as it is of gravel, is hable to much shifting in times of 

 floods, the mouth especially being subject to great alterations, and 

 then, when a drought comes, what water there is trickles away 

 through beach and gravel, and the entrance is entirely closed until 

 a fresh spate cuts another outlet— an evil which could be remedied 

 by a small expenditure. 



Although this river opens on the 25 th of February, it is a very 

 late one, the first clean fish seldom appearing till the end of May 

 or beginning of June, while the best and heaviest fish do not run 

 till autumn, when they are said to be in good condition ; but if 

 that is really the case, they must differ from those of all the other 

 rivers in Scotland, for I have never met with a September fish 

 that could for one moment compare with a March or April one. 

 However, the river is netted up to the loth of September, and the 

 rods continue to be plied to the 15th of November. 



For its size, this river yields larger fish than any other in Scot- 

 land. In 1882 the man at the nets had a cock fish of 44 lb. and a 

 hen of 42 lb. ; and Mr. Inglis, a brother of the factor at Bargeny, 

 had a day of three fish weighing 33 lb., 30 lb., and 28 lb. 



As the seacoast nets are Crown property, it is remarkable, 

 considering the ownership, that such severe netting should be 

 permitted. The bag-nets extend from Brennane Head on the 

 north to Carsewell Point on the south, a distance of sixteen miles, 

 in which there are about sixty of them. In 1887 they were rented 

 by a Mr. Johnston of Kirkcolm, who complained to the Fishery 

 Board of damage done by trawlers ; as it could not be settled 

 whether the Crown was bound to protect its lessee, or whether the 

 lessee was to protect himself, Mr. Johnston suggested as a sort of 

 set-off that he was to have his netting season prolonged for a fort- 

 night, and be exempted during the whole season from observing 

 the weekly close time ! Needless to say, both propositions were 

 curtly refused. 



The Fishery Board Reports of 1897 state that the nets 

 took 298 salmon (one of 62 lb.), 210 grilse, and 114 sea trout, 

 while the rods in the same year had a total of 41 salmon and 



grilse. 



The other proprietors of the river are Mr. W. McConnel of Knock- 

 dolian. Captain Hugh Hamilton of Pinmore and Daljarrock, and 

 Captain Hughes Onslow of Alton Albany. 



This last-mentioned stretch consists of about a mile and a half 

 between Barr and Auchensoul. Here the Stinchar is very rapid, 

 and owing to the too good draining of the sheep hilJs, in times of 

 rain it rises and falls so fast that it is seldom in fishing order for 

 more than a few hours at a time. On this section sea trout run 

 fairly large, averaging 3 lb. ; but about a score of them, with three 

 or four salmon, is the usual season's take, which is only a small 



