262 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



For the past few years Sir Robert Moncrieffe has worked hard 

 to carry through a scheme for improving the Earn anglings, by 

 renting the cruive and net fishings, by putting easily negotiated 

 fish passes in Dupplin and Strathallan Dykes, and by lengthening 

 the weekly close time, so as to permit many more fish to ascend 

 the river. Although this excellent idea is not actually an accom- 

 plished fact, I believe there is but little doubt that it will soon 

 become one, and then the Earn will be turned into a purely sport- 

 ing river, which, instead of giving only two months of autumn 

 sport, will yield fish to the angler from the opening day on the nth 

 of February, and under such circumstances it should become one of 

 the most valuable and most sought after of any in Scotland. 



In taking leave of the Earn, mention may be made of an old 

 agreement, which shows once again how cheap salmon were a 

 hundred and fifty years ago. It runs as follows, and is dated the 

 17th of November 1746 : — 



" I have this day let my fishing on the water of Earn to William 

 Johnman, at the Boat of Innerdunning for payment of eight 

 salmon, or half a crown for each twelve grilses, or ninepence for 

 each ten pikes and twenty trouts, or threepence for each. This 

 agreement made before Will Gloag, writer in Dunning, and George 

 Bruce, of Innerdunning." 



To this is appended the following memorandum : — 

 " -^oth May 1748. — Lent to Will Johnman 5s. 6d., for which 

 he is to repay me at St. John's Day, and I am to give him an abate- 

 ment of the price of the salmon, because they are so cheap in Perth." 

 Fishing the Dupplin Reserved water in 1909 with Mr. R. C. Baker 

 of Hurdcott, Salisbury, the take was between seventy and eighty 

 fish, 33 lb. the heaviest : the river being dead low most of the time, 

 and then when the rain did come there was too much to give suc- 

 cessful angling. In 1910 this water was fished from Ardoch — 

 eighteen mUes distant, by Mr. H. R. Wilson-Wood, who writes me : — 

 " I got no fish in aU, but the river came into ply in the first 

 week of September — ten days earlier than expected — and I missed 

 the best clay— 6th September. I got six fish on the 5th, six on the 

 7th, six on the 8th, and four on the loth, or twenty-two fish in the 

 four days. On 21st October I had eight fish. It is a splendid bit of 

 water, and had I had three rods fishing from 5th to loth September I 

 think we should have had from eighty to a hundred fish in that week." 

 In 1906, Lord Wolverton, the lessee, caught a fish of 51-^ lb. on 

 26th October. The catches on Sir Robert Moncreiffe's water of 

 Trinity Gask are as under : — 



1906. 1907. 1908. 1909- 



Salmon and Grilse . . 32 15 21 10 



Sea Trout .... 61 77 48 31 



This is one of the best waters above Dupplin Weir. 



Dupplin Castle, with the estate and the fishings, are now the 

 property of Sir John Dewar, Bart. 



