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Appendices to Fifth Annual Report 



the Orcadian sea-trout, one witness stated that he had heard of one caught 

 in a net, 21 J lbs. weight, and had seen one of 12J lbs.; and another 

 witness stated that he had seen one of 14 lbs. One of the witnesses ex- 

 amined at Kirkwall said, that about six years ago there was a curious 

 epidemic among the trout in the Loch of Harray, when most of the fish died. 

 He went down to the banks of the loch one day and found them lying dead 

 all along the shore. There was no appearance of any fungoid growth on any 

 of the fish. The season had been a very hot and dry one. Next year there 

 were very few fish. The majority of the witnesses examined agreed as to the 

 evil effects of the destructive modes of fishing practised in Lochs Stenness 

 and Harray, such as set lines, sweep-nets and fixed-nets, otters, and the non- 

 observance of any annual close time. In consequence of this the sea-trout 

 and loch-trout are less numerous, and the individual fish are smaller in 

 size than they used to be. In short, the tendency of the evidence taken 

 by the Commissioners clearly proved the evil effects of allowing' fishing 

 unrestricted as to season or implements, and the necessity of imposing 

 some restrictions. One witness deponed that he had seen eight or nine 

 otters being used on the Loch of Harray one day, and the next day two 

 on the Loch of Stenness. Another said that, during the last five years, 

 there had been a marked falling off in the fishings, which he imputed to 

 the use of sweep-nets, lines (each with several hooks) set during the night 

 and drawn in the morning, and nets stretched and fixed across the whole 

 breadth of the water above and below the Bridges of Waithe and Brogar, 

 so as to intercept the passing fish. These nets have a small mesh, like 

 herring-nets, and are set, not only in the lochs, but also across the burns 

 running into them, where they do a great deal of mischief, especially 

 during the spawning season. Another witness, who had then (1880) 

 known the Loch of Stenness for 30 years, said, that when he first 

 knew it, there was nothing but fair fishing with rod and line. He also 

 said that he had, long ago, killed 30 sea-trout with rod and line in that 

 loch in three hours. They weighed from 3 lbs. downwards. Such a take 

 would be impossible now, owing to the otters, set lines, and nets ; but if a 

 close time were enacted and enforced, and the lochs protected, such are 

 their natural advantages, that the fishings would recover in a few 

 years. 



A great number of burns, some of them of considerable size, fall into 

 the Lochs of Stenness and Harray, and in autumn and early winter the 

 sea-trout and loch-trout ascend these burns for the purpose of spawning. 

 But these narrow streams afford peculiar facilities for destroying the 

 spawning fish, and there is no doubt that a number of them are killed 

 while engaged in reproducing their species. This, of course, is the most 

 destructive and improvident of all illegal modes of killing fish, as the 

 death of every ripe female means the destruction of many hundred ova. 

 But the udallers do not like to be subjected to any restriction whatever. 

 As one Orkney proprietor writes me, in answer to the printed queries — 



I fear the native Orcadian is too short-sighted to regard an attempt to pre- 

 serve the fishings in any other light than that of an attempt of the 4 bloated 

 'aristocrat' to interfere with the 'rights of the people.' An attempt to stop 

 ottering on the Loch of Harray was much resented by some of the smaller pro- 

 prietors and others. 



The most destructive instrument used for killing fish during the 

 spawning season is called a ' haevie.' The following description and 

 drawing of it, sent by a gentleman thoroughly acquainted with the sea 

 and loch-trout fishings in Orkney, will give a good idea of its injurious 

 character : — 



The most deadly instrument used in Orkney during the spawning season is 



