of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



7 



increased number of salmon has not been sufficient to counter- 

 balance the deficiency in grilse already noted. In many districts 

 however, owing apparently to the excessive rainfall of the season, 

 an unusual number of fish ascended to the upper reaches of our 

 rivers, and the rod-fishing was distinctly good. After the close of 

 the fishing season also very large numbers of spawning fish have 

 been noticed in many localities. 



In answering the queries, some important notes have been made, 

 to which I desire to draw attention. To the general question, 

 " Are there any other points relating to the Salmon Fisheries in General 

 " your district to which you would wish to direct the attention of Q uestlQI 

 " the Board, in addition to those suggested by the preceding 

 "queries?" usually inserted at the end of the paper issued, the 

 clerk to the Forth District answers : — " The salmon fisheries of this 

 " district continue to suffer from the prevalence of hang or drift 

 " net fishing. The Common Law remedies are quite inadequate to 

 " deal with this species of illegal fishing, and it will be impossible 

 " to cope with it to any good purpose until it is made a statutory 

 " offence, akin to fishing with a net having an undersized mesh." 

 In view of the important decision in the House of Lords respecting 

 hang-net fishing in the Tay, it is perhaps unnecessary to explain 

 that the hang-net fishing now complained of as still carried on in 

 the Forth is not practised openly as a recognised and legitimate 

 method of catching salmon. 



A similar statement comes from the district of the River Annan. 

 " It would be well to still keep in view the complicated state of 

 " the Acts of Parliament referring to the Sol way Firth. During 

 " the last three years the Eden District Fishery Board have 

 " granted licenses to fish for salmon in the Solway Firth with draft 

 " nets about 300 yards long, and in addition most of these license- 

 " holders have also been granted permission to fish for salmon by 

 " the lessee of the Crown fishings in said firth in the parish of 

 " Buthwell in this county. 



" The nets used by them are what are known as whammel or 

 " hang nets, and all the fish caught in them are hanged. Although 

 " licensed to fish with draft net, the method adopted by them is 

 " not what is usually termed draft or coble net fishing. They 

 " generally carry about 600 yards of net, and when challenged by 

 " the river constables they state there is no limit to the length of 

 i: the nets used in the aforesaid Crown fishings, which is the case. 

 " There is no doubt that these nets are used in the dark tides as 

 " drift hang nets, and cause a good deal of illegal fishing." 



As indicating the need, often expressed in other quarters, for 

 statistics showing the number of fish taken in any district, so that 

 useful comparisons of annual takes and methods of fishing may be 

 possible for the guidance of those striving to regulate and maintain 

 the fisheries, it may be noticed that a strongly worded recom- 

 mendation on this matter comes from the clerk to the Kyle of 

 Sutherland District Fishery Board. Tacksmen have, as a rule, a 

 strong objection to disclosing the actual numbers of fish captured, 

 and, unlike shooting tenants, are as a rule in no way bound to do 

 so even to the proprietor whose fishings they may rent. With 



