108 



Appendices to Twenty -second Annual Report 



Adding the totals for grilse and for salmon in each of the two 

 sections the result is as follows : — 



(a) Almondmouth, - - 244 grilse ; 238 salmon. 



(b) Linn of Campsie - 11 79 „ 



It is seen at a glance, therefore, that whereas in one section of the 

 river the grilse and salmon appear to be very evenly divided as to 

 numbers during the spawning season, at another section of the river 

 the salmon are seven times as numerous as the grilse. With regard 

 even to the eleven grilse noted in section b, a detailed examin- 

 ation shows that only one came from the Linn proper, the others 

 having been taken in the streams below. We may say, therefore, that 

 whereas grilse are plentiful in some parts of the river, they are practi- 

 cally absent in others; that they are well distributed over the open 

 streams and pools, but are not to be found where, as at the Linn, the 

 water pours over a great rock ledge, and divides into powerful eddies 

 and deep-welling, much aerated cross currents. This, however, is the 

 place where the clean-run spring salmon is to be found. He does not 

 seek out the shallow fords and easy pools — the spawning instinct is not 

 upon him — but passes upwards till bis course is checked by torrents of 

 cold water pouring, it may be, over some slight obstacle. Here he 

 waits till either the water- flow becomes less or the temperature rises. 

 The Linn of Campsie also is no place to expect any great number of 

 unspawned salmon. It is a rocky place of troubled water. The 

 unspawned fish either pass it for streams above, or apparently drop 

 back to streams below. In netting we have repeatedly taken fish 

 which have dropped back, and the marking returns give most con- 

 vincing evidence of this. In some cases the descent has been so rapid 

 as to indicate that the fright caused by capture and handling must be 

 taken into account. For instance, on 10th November 1903, descending 

 from the beautiful long pool called Pitlochry Head by the rapid streams 

 above Stanley village we took a shot at u The Washing House " where 

 we got a large male fish, two unspawned females, and five grilse ; 

 immediately getting into the boat we rowed out into the strong broken 

 water and allowed ourselves to make a rapid descent to the shot called 

 " Horsey," about quarter of a mile further down and on the opposite bank. 

 Here the only fish taken in the first shot was one of the grilse just 

 marked at "The Washing House." 



