of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



53 



1902. 



Name of Stream. Spawning Commenced 



Fiddich - - - 29th September 



Avon - - - 9th October 



Livet - - - 8th „ 



Conglass - - - 10th „ 



Lochy - - - 14th „ 



Dulnain - - 7th ,, 



Nethy - - 13th 



Druie - - - 21st „ 



Feshie - - - 13th „ 



Tromie - - - 21st „ 



Truim - - - 13th 



Spey (above Laggan, Badenoch) 8th „ 



No. of Beds 

 for Season. 

 553 

 1,499 

 2,308 

 528 

 219 

 697 

 364 

 216 

 751 

 278 

 95 

 150 



Total Spawning Beds, 



7,658 



Table showing Sixteen Years' Spawning Beds Counted on 

 Tributaries. 



number of Beds for year 1887 



3,849 



Do. 



do. 



1888 



5,637 



Do. 



do. 



1889 



2,932 



Do. 



do. 



1890 



2,768 



Do. 



do. 



1891 



4,591 

 5,287 



Do. 



do. 



1892 



Do. 



do. 



1893 



4,635 



Do. 



do. 



1894 



7,214 



Do. 



do. 



1895 



6,203 



Do. 



do. 



1896 



4,778 



Do. 



do. 



1897 



5,661 



Do. 



do. 



1898 



3,983 



Do. 



do. 



1899 



5,654 



Do. 



do. 



1900 



7,344 



Do. 



do. 



1901 



5,588 



Do. 



do. 



1902 



7,658 



Speaking for sixteen spawning seasons on the tributaries of the River Spey, 

 that of last season, 1902-03, carries the record for number of spawning beds 

 counted. The record year previous to this was made two years previous 

 (1900-01), which only showed 314 beds fewer than that of last season. The 

 increase for last year upon that of the previous season is 2170 spawning beds. 

 Upon the Livet alone there was an increase of 916 beds, and upon the Avon 

 470, Conglass and Lochy, 198 beds, thus giving a total of 1584 of the increase 

 last year upon the Avon and Livet and their respective tributaries. At week 

 ending 20th December last, the larger tributaries had, owing to wet weather, 

 run high during the whole week, thus preventing the bailiffs from seeing and 

 counting many beds which were by the time the streams again receded dark- 

 ened in colour so as to prevent the men distinguising them with certainty from 

 those already counted. 



On the River Spey the spawning was very good. This was especially the 

 case in the Cromdale section, where during the months of December and 

 January the spawning fords were heavily stocked with spawners. Spawning 

 commenced on River Spey at Rothes on 30th October, at Aberlour on 14th 

 November, at Blacksboat on 5th November, and at Cromdale on 3rd 

 November. 



I last year reported a heavy spate which took place on the River Spey and 

 tributaries from 4th till 9th of January, 1902, but I have to record a more 

 disastrous one which occurred from 26th to 31st January, 1903. This spate 

 through its six days' continuous and heavy flow must have caused a con- 

 siderable amount of damage or injury to spawning beds over the River Spey 

 and tributaries. 



