26 



Appendices to Seventeenth Annual Report 



their deposited ova, owing to the polluted state of the stream, will in all pro- 

 bability be poisoned, and thus be rendered useless through the pollution. The 

 comparative figures giving increase or decrease of spawning beds for last two 

 spawning seasons over the tributaries are as follows : — Increase for last season 

 — Fiddich, 365 beds ; Avon, 446 beds ; Livet, 761 beds ; Conglass, 123 beds ; 

 Lochy, 30 beds ; and Spey (above Laggan, Badenoch), 53 beds. The 

 tributaries, on the other hand, showing a decrease' of spawning beds were — 

 Dulnain, 404 beds ; Nethy, 233 beds ; Druie, 15 beds ; Feshie, 108 beds ; 

 Tromie, 56 beds ; and Truim, 79 beds. It will thus be seen that there was a 

 big increase of beds in the lower tributaries and a large falling off upon the 

 upper or higher reaches of Spey tributaries, with the one exception of Crathie, 

 Laggan, top reach of Spey, which as an upper stretch alone shows an increase 

 over the previous season, this district being clear of pollution from distilleries. 

 The first-named big increase was, as I have already stated, the result of a 

 heavy run of autumn fish. The falling off in the upper Spey tributaries I 

 consider to have been caused by the run of summer fish not being so numerous 

 as they were during the previous summer of 1896, more especially grilse, which 

 were during the summer months of said year very scarce in sea and river, 

 but which in the late autumn showed themselves pretty numerous upon the 

 spawning beds on the lower tributaries. The spawning upon the river Spey 

 from Carron to Grantown was a very good average, and salmon continued upon 

 the redds in the Cromdale district up till 5th March. I do not consider that 

 spawning beds formed and worked upon by spawning fish over the whole of 

 the district last season have suffered or been injured by high spates or ice floes, 

 with the one exception, of that of the Feshie, which suffered somewhat through 

 the result of a rapid local sjDate which took place in that district about the 

 second week of November, and which uprooted a number of spawning beds in 

 the middle reaches of the river. 



Notes by the Bailiffs, same as last year, by order of the Board, were kept, 

 giving the number of spawning beds counted on the river Spey on that part of 

 the river lying between Boat o' Brig and Carron Bridge. The Bailiffs' 

 respective records were as follows : — On Aberlour beat, Carron Bridge to 

 Tunnel Pool, 82 beds ; Craigellachie beat, Tunnel Pool to Bulwark, 108 beds ; 

 Rothes beat, Bulwark to Hollybush, 366 beds ; Boat o' Brig beat, Hollybush 

 to Boat o' Brig, 252 beds ; and Mulben Burn, 40 beds — total, 848 spawning- 

 beds, being a decrease of 415 beds when compared with the number counted 

 upon the same ground during the previous season of 1896-97. No discrepancy 

 in the equal matching of male and female spawning fish while upon] the 

 spawning redds was observable by the Bailiffs during the season. 



The carrying out a cut through the shingle bank or beach to permit of a 

 new or direct run of the river into the sea at Speymonth near Tugnet, which 

 was sanctioned by the Board at their meeting held at Elgin on 22nd October, 

 1897, was proceeded with, subject to all the necessary legal proceedings and 

 sanction having been carried through and obtained. The work was com- 

 menced about the 20th November last by a large force of some sixty workmen, 

 and the river turned into a new run on the 1 8th of the following month — 

 December, 1897. The diversion of the river mouth has now given a direct 

 run into the sea, and has given every satisfaction. Tacksmen of salmon net 

 fishings and their fishermen along the coast to the east of Portgordon have 

 expressed themselves to the effect that the new mouth will benefit them by 

 increasing the attraction to fish to come inshore. I visited the old mouth on 

 10th September last, and found that the action of the sea has now completely 

 closed up the old outlet with a high beach of shingle. I understand that 

 the expense of carrying out the new cut somewhat exceeded the estimated 

 £200. 



II. — Smolt Season. 



The appearance of descending smolts during the spring and summer months 

 upon the river and tributaries was a fair average one. During the principal 

 migrating season, April to June, eight Bailiffs were carrying out the special 

 duty of protecting smolts or salmon fry from 25th April till 4th June, a 

 period of six weeks. The Bailiffs in question were stationed as follows :— One 

 in Speymouth district, one at Rothes, one at Dufftown, one at Aberlour, one on 

 Upper Avon and Livet, one at Ballindalloch, one at Grantown, and one at 

 Duthil, Twenty-eight dozen of printed notices cautioning persons against 



