THE NITH 275 



back, as not one of the cocks was in the same condition, while 

 the other fish netted that day were clean and fresh run. 



The main take of salmon is in July, while in August the bulk 

 of the grilse are netted. The Nith always yields some heavy fish 

 each j^ear, generally one or two of 40 lb. or over, and several between 

 30 lb. and 40 lb., with many others between 20 lb. and 30 lb. In 

 1897 a 40 lb. fish was caught by the rod, and in 1898 one of 43 lb. 

 was got in the nets. 



The Nith also has the reputation of yielding the heaviest fish 

 ever caught to the rod, as in 1812, on the Barjarg water, an old 

 poacher, one Jock Wallace, hooked a fish in the Clog Pool about 

 8 a.m., and played it down to the Barjarg Boat Pool, where some 

 workmen gaffed it for him at 6 p.m., when only two haiy; of Wallace's 

 casting line remained. The fish was at once taken to Barjarg 

 Tower and weighed in the presence of Mr. Hunter Arundell, the 

 proprietor, and he, with some others who were present, signed a 

 certificate of the weight, a copy of which is still in the family, testi- 

 fying that this fish was 67 lb. ! Lucky Jock Wallace, with his line 

 of twisted horsehair, and probably a home-made rod ! 



In addition to being injured fully as much, if even not 

 more than is the Annan, by the whammle, paidle, and other 

 Solway nets, as described in the chapter dealing with the last- 

 named river, the poor Nith is the receptacle of the Dumfries 

 sewage and of the pollutions of all the numerous mills and 

 factories both in the town itself and on the banks of the river 

 above and on its tributaries. 



A Dumfries tacksman in 1891 gave his evidence as follows 

 to the Clerk of the Nith District Board : " When the river is low, 

 I consider the pollutions the sole cause of deterioration. Scarcely 

 a fish will run up, and I have seen them at the ford at the New 

 Quay making back to the sea on Monday mornings after meeting 

 the refuse from the mills. The dyes are plainly seen in the water : 

 they are seen of various colours at different times — black, violet, 

 drab — and at Castle Dykes I have seen several colours at one time. 

 During the six weeks of drought I have seen the water black from 

 bank to bank — so black that a piece of white paper could not be 

 seen a foot deep ; and what with the sewage and the mill effluents, 

 the smell is so bad that I could compare the river to nothing but a 

 stinking canal." 



There are likewise upwards of twenty-five mill dams on the 

 Nith and its tributaries, many of which being unprovided with 

 fish passes are complete obstructions to their ascent, while such 

 things as hecks on the mill lades are nearly unknown. 



In his report of 1897, Mr. W. E. Archer indulges in some plain 

 speaking, and writes of the Nith as follows : " It is not surprising 

 that the salmon fisheries of the Nith are so unproductive, seeing 

 the difficulties with which the parent salmon have to contend 

 in ascending the river and the large extent of spawning ground 

 from which they are entirely excluded. During the open season 



