of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



289 



REPORT FROM BOON DISTRICT. 



Take of Fish— 



1. The number of salmon and grilse : — • 



(a) By fixed engines in the sea — ^Not ascertained. 



(6) By sweep net in tidal or fresh waters — ^Not ascertained. 



(c) By rod and line — ^209. This is below the average. 



2. Sea trout : — • 



The number taken was 265. 



3. The weight of the heaviest salmon taken during the season was 19|- lb. 

 The fish was caught at Cassillis. 



Protection— 



1. The assessable rental for 1914 was £502. 



2. The assessment levied was 8s. per £. 



3. The water bailiffs employed are 2 in number. 



4. Particulars as to prosecutions instituted are briefly as follow : — ^There 



were 3 prosecutions altogether. In 1 of these 2 men were charged 

 with salmon poaching, having taken 2 salmon out of a tributary of the 

 River Doon. Both were convicted and lined £1 each. In the second 

 case, a man was charged with taking an unclean salmon out of the 

 River Doon, and was fined £1 Is, In the third case, action vvas taken 

 against a miller on the River Doon for failing to keep a sluice at the 

 mill closed. Proceedings were dropped on defender giving a written 

 undertaking to obey the regulation in future, and on paying expenses. 



Obstructions to the Passage of Fish— 



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



2. Are the bye-laws observed in every case ? — -Yes, with the exception of 



certain hecks, which are at present being seen to. 



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



Pollutions— 



1. The existing pollutions are r — 'Skeldon Mills. 



2. Remedial measures : — An action has been raised in the Sheriff Court at 



A5rr against the tenants of the mills, Miller & Porteous, Ltd., to have 

 them interdicted from polluting the river. The Sheriff made a remit 

 to Mr. Wm. A. Tait, C.E., Edinburgh, to report on the best means of 

 preventing the pollution, and the defenders have undertaken to carry 

 out the scheme recommended by Mr. Tait. 



The Salmon Disease- 

 None. 



The Spawning Season— 



1. Fish were first noticed spawning on 15th October. 



2. The greatest number spawned about 20th November. 



3. Spawning ceased at the end of December. 



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



spawning season is regarded as excellent. 



Smolts— 



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



2. As a smolt year 1914 was good. 



REPORT FROM GIRVAN DISTRICT. 



Take of Fish— 



1. The number of salmon, grilse, and sea trout : — 



( /) By fixed engines in the sea — '847 salmon, 220 grilse, and about 

 300 sea trout. 



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