8 Appendices to Twenty-fourth Annual Report 



1600 yards south of the mouth of the Doon to the Bell Rock about • 

 a "mile and a third to the north of the mouth of the Ayr. This 

 estuary, proposed in 1862, is shown in Appendix XII. to the Report 

 of 1871, as well as -the separate estuaries for each river afterwards 

 fixed upon in April 1864. This delimitation was, however, not 

 adhered to, and two rocks lying on either side of the river-mouth in 

 the case of the Doon apparently induced the Commissioners to define 

 the estuary without reference to the shifting mouth of the river. It is 

 directed that the limits of the estuary are — 'A Segment of a Circle of 

 " 400 Yards Radius, drawn from a Centre placed Half Way between 

 " the nearest End of the Two Rocks on the opposite Sides of the River 



" Mouth " So we have a fixed estuary for a river 



with a shifting mouth. Immediately to the north of this artificially 

 defined estuary fixed nets are fished. Hence it follows that as the 

 river mouth moves northwards it approaches more and more closely 

 to the line of fixed nets, and the purpose of defining the estuary in 

 order to mark the distance from the river the Commissioners 

 considered fixed nets might be allowed is nullified. The original 

 distance of 400 yards does not seem excessive, but it has now been 

 considerably reduced, and no provision exists for recasting the 

 definition of the boundary. It is conceivable that in a case 

 such as this a river might in course of time, unless artificially 

 controlled, enter the sea out with the limits of its own estuary 

 and have bag nets fishing directly in the river-mouth. I am 

 glad to be able to report that a movement is now on foot 

 amongst the fishing proprietors to lease and remove the fixed 

 nets near the Doon mouth. Sweep nets used also to be worked 

 in the tidal pools of the river, but these were removed a few 

 years ago. Some sweep-net fishing is, however, still carried on, I 

 understand, in the upper reaches of the river. This fishing is in 

 three pools, and is for spring fish alone. To continue this practice 

 is, in my opinion, contrary to the best interests of the river. If by 

 reducing netting at the river-mouth the stock of spring fish is 

 increased — and this may be reasonably expected in a few years — 

 the removal of such fish in any numbers from the upper waters 

 cannot but be most unfortunate in the best interests of the 

 river. On ascending the river I inspected first the dam-dyke of 

 Alloway Mill. This I found to be a smooth cement-faced structure, 

 about four feet in height with a simple shoot-like fish-pass. The 

 crest of the weir was rather lower at the right bank than that at the 

 left. The gradient of the down-stream face was too steep. 

 The toe of the down-stream face had a slight upward curve, and as 

 the bed of the river immediately beyond had been washed away to 

 some extent, a rather abrupt termination to the pass resulted, which, 

 in low- water conditions, was against the success of fish attempting 

 to ascend. The weir is the property of the Marquis of Ailsa, and I 

 have, since the date of my inspection, had some correspondence 

 with the estate factor, Mr. Thomas Smith, as to the best means of 

 modifying the structure, and also as to the repairing of the lade 

 intake which I found so undermined by the action of the water as 

 to admit a full complement of water even when the sluice was shut. 

 I have, since the date of this inspection, had an opportunity of again 

 examining this weir, and, the water being more suitable than on my 



