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Apfendices to Thirty-second Annual Report 



the men stood up and waved his arm. The boat was then rowed away 

 in a wide curve. When we reached the Hue across the channel first taken 

 by the boat, we came upon a net drifting, and quite unattached in mid 

 stream. We passed over the net, and continued our course in the direc- 

 tion of a number of boats about half a mile lower down and east of the 

 Kincardine Ferry. The two men making the wide curve away from us 

 then returned to their net and lifted it, but their signal to those further 

 down the river was immediately acted upon. Every boat lifted a net 

 (there were about a dozen boats at work), and rowed or sailed back^to 

 Kincardine. From one of the boats, I distinctly saw a large salmon 

 taken and carried up the slip. It is more than likely that several of the 

 boats I saw thus at work were rowed by men who had a right to fish for 

 salmon, but none of them had a right to fish in the manner being pursued. 

 Only one of the Kincardine boats, which was working just ofi the Kin- 

 cardine beach, made any pretence of legal fishing, by having a tow-line 

 on shore as already described in the case of the Dunmore men. At least 

 six of the boats were fishing where no right of fishing is held by any Kin- 

 cardine man. 



It was abundantly clear, therefore, that drift net fishing for salmon is 

 carried on by a large number of men in this neighbourhood, and that by 

 signals they help one another to avoid detection. The celerity with 

 which the fishermen disappeared was also noteworthy. When I landed 

 at Kincardine not a man from the boats was visible, but I had an ex- 

 cellent opportunity of examining their nets. These were of specially 

 light material and of 10-inch mesh. They were drift nets, and not in any 

 way adapted for use as sweep nets. 



This illegal fishing can perhaps be more readily dealt with than the 

 great difficulty of pollution. It will be necessary to deal with it in summary 

 fashion. At present it is another menace to the best interests of the river. 



The recommendation of the Forth District Board is that drift netting 

 be now made an offence under the Salmon Acts. The District Board 

 have had in some years to prosecute as many as 32 persons for fishing in 

 this illegal way ; they have also had to proceed for breach of interdict, 

 and for assault upon bailiffs while in the exercise of their duty. 



Tay. 



In the report from the Clerks to the Tay District Fishery Board, under 

 the heading of " Obstructions to the Passage of Fish," it will be noticed 

 that the Board are continuing the operations for the opening up of the 

 Tummel at Dalcroy and Dunalastair, although no very immediate 

 action is contemplated at the latter point. 



From inquiries I have been able to make from time to time it certainly 

 appears that a considerable number of fish have been noticed in the 

 summer and autumn of 1913 above the Falls of Tunimel. 



The prolonged drought in the summer of 1913 reduced the level of 

 the Tummel to such an extent that for several weeks the new Salmon Pass 

 was quite dry. Fortunately, however, when the pass was constructed 

 a few sHght alterations were at the same time made on one part of the fall 

 where it had been noticed fish trying to ascend commonly struck them- 

 selves. It is only in low-water levels that fish can make any attempt 

 to ascend the fall itself, and therefore it may be fairly concluded that in 

 a very dry season the fall is not so difficult as it used to be, and that more 

 fish are able to ascend by this route, while in higher water conditions 

 the pass comes into use. 



It seems to be impossible to find out with certainty how many salmon 



