af the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



5 



although it has no salmon pass, it does not seem to offer any very 

 serious barrier to the ascent of fish when the river is in a condition for 

 salmon running. Next in the ascent of the river comes Colquhalzie 

 dyke, also a low dyke, though rather more 1 difficult of ascent than 

 Millearn. No pass exists. About a mile below Crieff is Dornoch dyke, 

 an obstruction of considerable magnitude. Two meal mills are worked 

 by the water obtained by means of this weir, one on each side of the 

 river. Mr. Young {loc. cit.) states that a right of cruive-fishing was 

 originally held here by Lord Willoughby, but that, in order to benefit 

 the fishings, the cruive was removed and a fish-pass substituted. Since 

 the date of this sportsmanlike action another structure has been added 

 to the dam, ostensibly for the purpose of assisting salmon to ascend. 

 A breach has, however, recently occurred in the dyke which happily 

 is to be permitted to remain (Note I., Appendix, p. 16). A 

 short distance above Crieff bridge is the last weir on the river, 

 excepting a couple of insignificant dams for working small saw-mills. 

 Cook's mill dyke, which supplies water to what is termed the Bridge 

 End Meal Mill — the name of Cook seems associated only with the 

 dyke — is again not very serious as an obstacle to the ascent of fish, 

 although it certainly should be provided with a salmon pass. None of 

 the mill lades on the Earn are provided with hecks, and the case of the 

 Bridge End Mill is certainly the most serious. The upper lade is about 

 500 yards long, and is provided with strong sluices. Two wheels exist 

 in the mill, and the tail-lade is continued into the river in such a way 

 that it forms a ready opening for the entrance of fish. It is overhung 

 with bushes, and has a stony natural bed. Tt should not be allowed 

 to continue without a heck. A bye-wash also exists which, when the 

 mill is not working, throws a torrent of water at right angles to the 

 natural flow of the river. So far back as 1882 the Tay District Fishery 

 Board issued circulars explaining the requirements of the Salmon 

 Fisheries (Scotland) .Act, 1868, with regard to hecks, and calling upon 

 every mill-owner in the Tay District to comply with the regulations. 

 The requirements of the Act with regard to hecks are as follows 

 (Schedule G) :— 



" 3. At the intake of every lade there shall be placed and con- 

 stantly kept a heck or grating for each opening, or one 

 embracing the whole openings, the bars to be not more than 

 three inches apart, if horizontal, and not more than two 

 inches if vertical. 



4. A similar heck or grating shall be placed and constantly kept 



across the lade or troughs immediately above the entrance to 

 each mill-wheel. 



5. A similar heck or grating shall be placed and constantly kept 



across the lower end of each tail-lade at its entrance into the 

 main river." (Then follows a note containing a recom- 

 mendation as to the construction of lades, so as to compensate 

 for the space occupied by the bars of the hecks). 

 This need for hecks in the Tay district is also seen in the neighbour- Ericht. 

 hood of Blairgowrie, in the river Ericht, a tributary of the river Isla. 

 I visited this locality at a subsequent date, and saw, in the lade of the 

 Muckle Mill, a pair of small salmon, and several pairs of sea-trout pre- 

 paring to spawn. It may be argued that the Ericht is now a quite 

 unimportant salmon river, and that migratory salmonidse do not reach 

 Blairgowrie till the close season; but so far as my observation goes, 

 the pollution referred to in Mr. Young's first report, page 13, does not 

 now exist, and such fish as enter the river are only stopped by the 

 high impassable weirs where the Tay District Board have already 

 experimented unsuccessfully with the Macdonald Fish Pass. Mi. 

 B 



