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Appendices to Fifth Annual Report 



which connects the loch with the sea is quite short, perhaps 300 yards in 

 length. It passes under the road, through two comparatively narrow, 

 square-shaped openings, on to the sea-beach, over which it trickles in a 

 somewhat shallow straggling current. The mill-lade issues from the 

 corner of the dam across the foot of the loch. It is pretty deep and 

 rapid, and there is a sluice, but no heck at the intake. According to the 

 terms of the bye-law (Schedule G), that sluice should be shut when the 

 mill is not going, and all the water should be passed down the natural 

 bed of the burn. But, at present, the intention evidently is to admit sea- 

 trout into the loch by means of the bye-wash sluice which runs from the 

 lade into the burn. In order to give effect to this intention, however, the 

 sluice at the head of the bye-wash, where it issues from the lade, would 

 require to be enlarged; and the opening which it regulates should be 

 deepened. At the time of my visit, a rivulet of water was flowing out of 

 the loch from the corner of the dam opposite to that from which the 

 lade issues. The opening from which it flowed was in a great measure 

 stopped up with turfs. But it seems possible that, if this obstruction were 

 removed, sea-trout might oceasionally find their way into the loch through 

 this channel. 



The skipper of General Burroughs' yacht, whose remembrance of Savis- 

 kail Loch goes back between thirty and forty years, told me that when he 

 first knew it sea-trout had easy access to it, and that it contained plenty 

 of them at the proper season of the year up to 5 lbs. weight. At that 

 time he was once out in a boat with some one who used an otter on Loch 

 Saviskail. The result of the first trial of the otter was the capture of 

 six or seven sea-trout, one of them weighing 5 lbs. ; another trial was 

 made, and the take of fish was so great that the tackle was broken, and 

 the otter dragged down to the bottom of the lake. 



Erom Rousay I have two answers to my printed que General 

 Burroughs writes : — r ; oq . 



I would approve of a close time in Orkney for the sale of trout. Sea-trout 

 are caught by net when required for consumption in my house. Some days 

 none are caught, sometimes three or four dozen fish are landed. We fish with 

 the net, perhaps once a fortnight, during the season. I would strongly recom- 

 mend a Fishery Association being formed for the Loch of Stenness, in the 

 interests as well of the proprietors as of fishermen. 



General Burroughs' gamekeeper writes : — 



I would approve of a close time for trout in Orkney — say, from 31st October 

 to 1st April. The sea-trout take the fly at the mouths of the burns in the sea, 

 but not readily. They have not been tried with bait or minnow. Thinks 

 100 sea-trout might be got any season in Rousay with net and rod. General 

 Burroughs has done a great deal in the way of removing obstacles to the passage 

 of sea- trout in the island of Rousay. 



Beside the lochs above-mentioned, there are a good many others in the 

 islands of Westray, Sanday, Eday, and others of the Orcadian group. 

 Near Pierrowall Bay in Westray there are two — the Loch of Burness and 

 the Loch of Sanctear — which are said to hold very heavy trout. Mr 

 Tudor states that he saw five trout taken from the latter which weighed 

 8 lbs. 



Oysters in Orkney. 



There may be some doubt whether the sea-trout fisheries of Orkney, 

 even if carefully protected against destructive and improvident modes of 

 fishing, will ever attain any considerable commercial importance by 

 supplying food for the market. But there can be no doubt that Orkney 

 once contained oyster beds which yielded a regular supply of excellent 



