lxxii 



Fifth Annual Report of the 



On Loch Leven the angling season of 1886 was below the 

 average, only 11,938 trout, weighing 11,294 lbs., or nearly an average 

 of 1 lb. per fish, having been taken, as against 15,568 in 1885 

 15,734 in 1884, 14,191 in 1883, 9032 in 1882, and 16,383 in 1881. 

 The heaviest basket of the year was taken on the 10th June last, and 

 contained 52 trout, weighing 44 lbs. On the same day, 9 boats had 

 excellent sport, catching 174 trout, weighing 142 lbs.; and on the 

 previous day 319 trout, weighing 272 lbs., were killed by 36 rods. 

 The heaviest trout of the season was 3 J lbs., and the second was 

 3 lbs. 7 ounces. Looking to the sustained and altogether abnormal 

 and exceptional production of Loch Leven, it seems quite im- 

 possible to doubt that it is in a great measure due to the system- 

 atic stocking of the tributaries of the Loch with artificially bred 

 trout fry, of which from 200,000 to 240,000 are put in annually. 

 The History of The great work that has so long and so successfully been carried 

 Howietoun. on fcy g[ r j ames Ramsay Gibson Maitland, Bart., at Howietoun 

 Hatchery, near Stirling, has culminated in the publication by Sir 

 James of the first part of The History of Howietoun, which marks 

 an era in the science and art of fish-culture. The remaining part 

 of the work, which will bring the history down to 1st January 1887, 

 is stated to be in an advanced state of preparation. It will contain 

 a chapter on the construction of Eedds, chapters on British and 

 Foreign Fish-Culture, &c, and also a voluminous Appendix. 

 Salmon ^he W orst outbreak of salmon disease that occurred in 1886, 



South Esk. considering the smallness of the river, was in the South Esk, which 

 falls into the sea at Montrose. Between the 20th November 1886 

 and the 16th February 1887, 407 fish afflicted with the fungoid 

 disease were taken out of the South Esk, of which 148 were males 

 and 259 were females, A Eeport on the Salmon Disease in the 

 South Esk by the Superintendent to the District Board of that river 

 will be found in the Notes to Mr Young's Report (Appendix G). 

 decisions 1 * ^ n * m P ortant decision affecting the Salmon Fisheries in the 

 regardmgthe Solway Firth was given bv Lord Trayner in December last. It 

 Salmon has not been reclaimed against, and may therefore be held as, in 

 Solway Firth 6 ^ De meantime, fixing the law on the subject. The action was 

 and in the brought by the Duke of Buccleuch and others against Lord Herries 

 nver Doon. aQ( j ^g^ w ^h ^g v [ ew 0 f having it found and declared that 

 certain nets termed paidle-nets— which are fully described in Mr 

 Young's Report of March 1884 on the rivers falling into the Scotch 

 shore of the Solway Firth—are illegal in the Biver Nith and its 

 estuary. These nets, which are practically small stake-nets, set 

 nominally for the purpose of taking white fish, but really taking 

 large quantities of salmon, are now declared to be illegal in the 

 river and estuary of the Nith ; and there can be little doubt that this 

 suppression of destructive and illegal engines will speedily pro- 

 duce a favourable effect upon the salmon fisheries in the district. 



Another important case (Bowie v. the Marquis of Ailsa), with 

 regard to conflicting rights of Salmon Fishery and White Fishing, 

 was decided last March by the Second Division of the Court 

 of Session, in which it was held that the Doon is a private and 

 not a public river, even in that part of it which is tidal. 



Further details of these important cases will be found in the Notes 

 to Mr Young's Report (Appendix G). 



