of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 55 



The Salmon Disease- 

 Disease is practically unknown, but a case is said to have been observed 

 in the river Fruin. 



The Spawning Season— 



1. Fish were first noticed spawning : — (1) Sea trout on October 2nd ; (2) 



salmon in November. 



2. The greatest number spawned : — (1) Sea trout in November ; (2) salmon 



in December. 



3. Spawning ceased : — (1) Sea trout by end of November ; (2) salmon by 



middle of January. 



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



spawning season is regarded as about the average. 



Smolts— 



1. Smolts were noticed to be migrating seawards in May. 



2. As a smolt year 1905 was an average good one. 



Artificial Propagation of Salmon— 



1. The number of ova secured locally during the past season was : — (1) 



Trout, 166,000 ; (2) salmon and ssa trout, 144,000. 



2. In securing ova the numbers of male and female fish captured were 



not observed. 



3. Out of 21 sea trout marked in October 1904 as many as 9 were 



observed in 1905, but by mischance none of the labels were obtained 

 for statistical purposes. 



REPORT FROM AYR DISTRICT. 

 Take of Pish - 



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



generally throughout the district has been above the average. Fishing 

 during the season has been carried on solely by rod and line. 



2. The actual number of fish caught has been as follows : — 



(a) By rod and line, about 120, but the information available is 

 not very accurate. 



3. Expressed as percentages for each month of the season, so as to show the 



times of greatest run, the figures are : — 





Feb. 



Mar. 



April. 



May. 



June. 



July. 



Aug. 



Sept. 



Oct. 



By Fixed Engine, 





















By Sweep Net, . 





















By Bod and Line, 













5 



40 



30 



35 



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

 above return, are as follows : — Sea trout — First run about end of June. 

 Grilse — About same time. Salmon — First big run occurred during t he 

 5th, 6th, and 7th of August. Before that there had been a spell of 

 very dry weather, and there was no water to allow the fish to get up. 

 4. The weight of the heaviest salmon taken during the season was 24 lbs. 



The particulars of time and place of capture are : — This fish was caught 

 by a Mr. M'Intyre, a local angler, when fishing in Gadgirth water. 

 He was fishing with a brown turkey fly. The water was not deep at 

 the place. The fish was in splendid condition. 



