of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



257 



east, however, off the rocky shores half way to Castleton, I found the 

 coble anchored about 60 yards from the shore, and about 150 yards of 

 the net shot out in a curve to where the motor boat kept in a stationary 

 position against the flood tide. One man in the coble, and the other men 

 in the motor boat kept a look out for fish. I saw individual salmon 

 jumping at intervals along this rocky piece of coast, but two hours passed 

 without any shot of the net being completed. So far as I was able 

 to judge the intention, the shot would have been finished by the 

 motor boat moving off so as to run out the remaiader of the net in a circular 

 direction to enclose a shoal of fish, bringing the end to the moored 

 coble so that the net should be hauled alongside the motor boat. 



I understand, from reports I have since received, that the experiment 

 did not turn out satisfactory. 



AlLORT. 



A proposal came up in 1911 to raise the level of Loch Eilt in this 

 district, so as to be able to create floods at will in the Ailort. The scheme 

 for the erection of a dam dyke and salmon pass took shape in the following 

 year, and a good site for trustworthy foundation was secured, the work 

 being placed in the hands of a Fort- William contractor. It was found 

 impossible to raise the level of the loch more than 5 J feet without flooding 

 the road at one or two points. Even in times of high flood without 

 such artificial banking the road to Arisaig is sometimes flooded. It 

 was found, however, that by clearing the river outlet of an existing ob- 

 struction which held up the level of the water below the proposed site of 

 the dam, the control of the loch level could be secured by constructing 

 a dam of only 4 J feet. With regard to the pass, the proposal was to 

 erect a subsidiary dam so as to form a pool, and to have a sluice under 

 control. The work was put in progress in the spring of 1913, but before 

 it was finished a violent flood did serious damage, and brought operations 

 to a standstill. 



During last summer, the reconstruction was, however, proceeded with, 

 and I hope on my next visit to the district to see the completed result. 



DOON. 



Amongst the various sources of pollution in this district, the discharge 

 from the Skeldon Mills has been referred to more than once. Blankets 

 are made at those mills, and the effluent contains soapy waste from the 

 scouring vats, together with an admixture of acids and other toxic sub- 

 stances. In the pa jt, this effluent was collected in a pond having a sluice 

 opening upon the river, and the sluice was kept shut till such time as the 

 river watcher opened it during floods. This arrangement put the responsi- 

 bility of damage to the fish upon the District Fishery Board, and was 

 manifestly a makeshift. Also, in times of long drought a surplus of the 

 effluent was apt to occur, for the disposition of which there was no pro- 

 vision, and the disposal of which, I presume, had to be effected in some way. 



Moreover, a soapy fluid, such as this referred to, does not readily 

 settle at all, but is rather apt to remain in suspension for a considerable 

 time. To resort to a settling pond for its treatment seems, therefore, 

 unscientific. I understand that an attempt was made at one time to 

 neutralise the effluent so as to render it harmless. This was abandoned, 

 however, in favour of the arrangement already referred to -by which the 

 officer of the District Fishery Board was given the key of the settling pond 

 sluice. 



9 



