6 



Appendices to Tiventy-secondj Annual Report 



Deficiency of 

 Grilse. 



Rod Fishings 

 of Thurso. 



Weight of 



Salmon 



Carried. 



districts the fishings are described as having yielded results above 

 the average, although in several instances it is stated that the grilse 

 crop was poor. Noticeably is this the case in Sutherland, where last 

 year the fishings were described as of average result. The following 

 figures show this serious decrease of grilse : — 



East Sutherland Rivers 

 (Net and Coble). 



Year. 

 1902. 

 1903. 



Salmon. 

 653 

 1,204 



Grilse. 

 1,039 

 247 



Sea 

 Trout. 

 248 

 194 







+ 551 



-792 



-54 



West Sutherland Coast 

 (Bag Nets). 



1902. 

 1903. 



1,341 

 1,356 



8,716 

 2,970 



189 

 274 







+ 15 



-5,756 



+ 85 



North Sutherland 

 (Net and Coble and 

 Bag Nets). 



1902. 

 1903. 



1,173 

 1,957 



10,376 

 4,944 



79 

 86 





+ 784 



-5,432 



+ 7 



We may see from the above figures that in the County of Suther- 

 land the results of the net fishings show, as compared with the 

 results of 1 902 , a deficit of 1 1 , 9 8 0 grilse and an increase of 1 3 5 0 salmon. 

 In the County of Caithness also a somewhat similar result seems to 

 have been experienced. By a return with which I am favoured from 

 Mr. Peter Keith, factor to Sir Tollemache Sinclair, Bart., of 

 Ulbster, I am able to ascertain the result of all the fishings of the 

 Thurso District except those of Brims and Holborn Head. The 

 coast fishings as compared with the season of 1902 show a decrease 

 of 1815 grilse and an increase of 381 salmon. The rod fishing of the 

 Eiver Thurso for March, April, and May (the chief months) shows 

 a total for 1902 of 139 salmon, and for 1903 a total of 414 salmon. 

 A full statement of the rod fishings from the year 1863 to 1903 will 

 be found appended to the Thurso report in Appendix II. Separating 

 these totals into eight quinquennial periods — excluding only 1903 

 —the results are:— 3574, 3804, 3720, 2393, 2450, 2433, 1793, 

 1125, an unfortunate and steady decline being noticable. The 

 annual average take for the period of 40 years is 529 fish. It has to 

 be explained, however, that while angling has always been steadily 

 carried on by the six or more rods on the eleven beats available in 

 the months of March, April, and May, and almost invariably in 

 February, fishing in January is for the most part shown between 

 the years 1870 and 1890, and for the month of June only from 1891 

 to 1900. 



With regard to the returns giving the weight of salmon carried 

 by railways, etc., it will be noted that only in one of the four divisions 

 of the country commonly used in giving this return is their an 

 increase, viz., in the division from Berwick to Cairnbulg Point at 

 the entrance to the Moray Firth. This division, however, includes 

 by far the most important commercial fisheries of the country. In 

 the case of the divisions from Cairnbulg to Cape Wrath and from 

 Cape Wrath to Glasgow, it would appear that the weight of the 



