of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



20 



Particulars as to the times grilse and sea trout appeared, as included in 

 the above return, are as follows :— The first grilse caught by net was on 

 15th March. The first grilse caught by rod and line (up the river) 

 was 3rd July. The first sea trout caught in the upper districts was m 

 August. The greatest number of grilse were caught in October and 

 November by rod and line, and in May by nets. 

 4. The weight of the heaviest salmon taken during the season was 47 lbs. 



The particulars of time and place of capture are :— Caught on 5th August 

 at Outwater Stell Fishery, near to Berwick Pier. 



Protection— 



1. The assessable rental for 1905 was £15,499 15s. 5d. 



2. The assessment levied was £3099 18s. 5d., or 20 per cent. 



3. The water bailiffs employed are— in July 9, August 9, September 



18, October 43, November 54, December 54, January 46, February 

 27, March 21, April 15, May 15, June 9, and 1 engineer during the 

 whole year. 



4. Particulars as to prosecutions instituted are briefly as follows : — Prosecu- 



tions were instituted against 189 persons during season 1904-05. 

 62 persons paid fines or were allowed time to pay ; 74 were imprisoned ; 

 10 absconded ; 19 were acquitted or admonished ; and proceedings 

 were withdrawn in the case of 24 persons. The principal offences 

 were killing salmon by means of illegal nets, cleek and light, and 

 rakehooks ; being in illegal possession of salmon and engines for kill- 

 ing salmon, and assaulting and obstructing bailiffs. 

 Note. — There were 271 illegal nets seized in the sea and 21 in the river. 



Obstructions to the Passage of Fish— 



1. Dam dykes disused, built, or in prospect : — None. 



2. With regard to the observance of bye-laws : — Duly carried out and 



enforced. 



3. Fish passes built or in prospect : — None. 



4. Natural obstructions not yet dealt with : — None. 



Pollutions— 



1. The existing pollutions are : — Poisonous matters from mills and dye- 

 houses in Selkirk, Peebles, Innerleithen, Walkerburn, Galashiels, 

 Hawick, Jedburgh, and Chirnside ; household sewage from Biggar, 

 West Linton, Eddleston, Melrose, St. Boswells, Kelso, Coldstream, 

 Sprouston, Ancrum, Lilliesleaf, Earlston, Lauder, &c. 



1. Remedial measures : — There are settling tanks connected with all the 

 mills in Peeblesshire which intercept the grosser parts of the mill 

 effluent, but not much good. There are purification works connected 

 with the mills in Galashiels and Selkirk, but those in Galashiels do 

 not appear to be of any use, from the appearance of the water flowing 

 from them. Improved purifying machinery has been erected at 

 Chirnside Mills lately, and satisfactory results are anticipated there- 

 from. In Hawick there are irrigating tanks in a field, but not worked 

 satisfactorily. 



The Salmon Disease— 



1. Disease made its appearance during season 1904-05 in the month of 



October, and reached its height in January. 

 The river was free of diseased fish in June. 



2. The number of diseased fish taken from the river and destroyed was as 



follows : — 





Males. 



Females. 



Kelts, .... 



1450 



885 



Clean, .... 



44 



64 



