of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



27 



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

 follows :— 232 for season 1904-05. 





Males. 



Females. 



Kelts, 



166 



46 



Clean or unspawned, 



No clean fish. 



20 unspawned. 



The Spawning Season— 



1. Fish were first noticed spawning in October. 



2. The greatest number spawned in December. 



3. Spawning ceased end of January. 



4. As regards numbers of breeding fish, and state of the water, the past 



spawning season is regarded as about the average. The rivers were 

 generally high for the whole of the spawning season. 



Smolts— 



1. Smolts were noticed to be migrating seawards in April, May, and June. 



2. As a smolt year 1905 was about the average. 



Artificial Propagation of Salmon— 



None. 



REPORT FROM TAY DISTRICT. 

 Take of Fish- 



1. As compared with the average results of previous years, the take of fish 



generally throughout the district has been quite a good average. 

 More particularly it has been 



(a) By fixed engines in the sea, no improvement in sea fishings. 

 (6) By sweep net in tidal or fresh waters, better than usual, 

 (c) By rod and line, about the average. 



2. The weight of the heaviest salmon taken during the season was 57| lbs. 

 The particulars of time and place of capture are : — In the month 



of July, on the Tay near Newburgh, two salmon were taken in the 

 nets, one 57£ lbs. and one 57 lbs. Quite a number over 40 lbs. 

 were taken throughout the season. One salmon of 51 lbs. was caught 

 in October by rod and line about two miles below Perth. Others by 

 rod and line up to 43 lbs. 



Protection— 



1. The assessable rental for 1905 was £22,675 12s. 



2. The assessment levied was £1587 6s., being at the rate of 7 per cent. 



3. The water bailiffs employed are 24 in number in close season and from 



5 to 8 in open season. Of these, 7 are in the pay of the Tay Salmon 

 Fisheries Co., Ltd.. in close season and 2 in the open season. The 

 company also give the assistance of other men when required. 



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



last report 44 cases have been tried (39 in Perth, 3 in Cupar-Fife, 

 and 2 in Forfar), involving 84 persons. The offences consisted of — 

 cleeking, 12 ; possession of foul fish, 8 ; possession in close time, 7 ; 

 using salmon roe, 5 : fishing without leave of the proprietor, 4 ; 

 possession of cleek with intent to take salmon, 4 ; stoning, etc., 2 ; 

 fishing with small mesh net, 1 ; sniggering, 1. Of the 84 persons 

 involved, 77 were convicted (76 being fined and 1 admonished), 6 not 

 proven, and 1 withdrawn owing to youth. Fines ranging from 3s. 6d. 

 to £4 3s. were imposed. The total fines amounted to £119 16s., being 



