20 Appendices to Twenty-fourth Annual Report 



improvement in the stock of fish in the river was very naturally- 

 looked for after the lapse of a few years. In 1897 the assessable 

 rental of the district was £2658. The reports which I have 

 received from the clerk to the District Fishery Board since the 

 year 1897 may, as regards rental and general results of fishing, be 

 summarised as follows : — ■ 



Year. 



Rental. 



Netting. 



Rod Fishing. 



1898 

 1899 

 1900 

 1901 

 1902 

 1903 

 1904 

 1905 



£2,979 

 3,078 

 3,186 

 3,186 

 3,048 

 3,104 

 3,387 

 3,368 



Below the avearge. 

 Average. 

 Above average. 

 Average. 

 Average. 

 Average. 

 Below average. 

 Much below average. 



A failure. 

 Below average. 

 1,113 fish. 

 824 fish. 

 950 fish. 

 1,235 fish. 

 Below average. 

 Much below average. 



It is clear from a glance at these statements that no improve- 

 ment is claimed, and from conversations I have had with those 

 who habitually fish the water near Turriff by rod, I am forced to 

 believe that the recent seasons have been very bad indeed. In 

 connection with the annual marking of salmon during close season 

 I organised, inter alia, a netting expedition to the Deveron. By 

 the kindness of various proprietors, and especially of Mr. Milne, 

 of Ardmiddle, netting was conducted from the Bridge of Marnoch 

 to the Turriff Bridge. Much of the water was too rocky to allow 

 of satisfactory netting, and it may be that for this and other 

 reasons the test was not altogether a searching one ; but the result 

 satisfied me and, I think, all those who were present at the netting, 

 that the stock of fish was distinctly limited during last breeding- 

 season. Mr. Kennedy, the superintendent, informed me also 

 that all over the district the stock of fish seemed lower than he 

 had ever known it. 



With regard to what may be regarded as usual causes of such a 

 reduction of the fisheries, such as overnetting, pollution, &c, I 

 may state that sweep netting is carried on in the Deveron from 

 the mouth of the river to the Bridge of Alvah, a distance of three 

 miles. In the early part of the season this extent of water is 

 fished by one boat's crew alone, there being a crew at work b}* day 

 and another at work by night. From July onwards this amount of 

 netting is doubled, two crews fishing by day and two by night. 

 On the coast outside the river bag nets may be set, in accordance 

 with the limits of the estuary, within 400 yards of the river mouth. 

 An estuary of 400 yards radius is perhaps not excessive, but yet it 

 is difficult to regard it as too small since it is precisely the radius 

 of estuary prescribed for the river Dee — a thoroughly well-stocked 

 river. Another factor which must be taken into consideration is 

 the presence of seven distilleries in the upper waters which have 

 been estimated as distilling over 6000 bushels per week during the 



