of the Fishery Board for Scot I "in/. 



'11 



killing smolts, parr, or salmon fry were posted up along the sides of the river 

 and tributaries all over the district. All of the trout anglers met with by the 

 Bailiffs were found agreeable and willing to show their respective " takes " 

 for inspection. A force of Bailiffs again went on parr or salmon fry pro- 

 tection duty at the begining of August. 



III. — Disease among Fish. 



The following is a detail of mortality or disease among spawning fish, which, 

 during the last ten years, I have noted or tabulated in my yearly report as 

 resulting among fish in the Fiddich during each spawning season. During 

 the ten years in question (1889 to 1898) I have given the death percentage of 

 fish, the percentage being the number of deaths to the number of spawning 

 beds counted upon the stream during the season. During the last year, 

 1897-98, the number of spawning beds counted was 657, and the number of 

 dead fish removed from the stream and buried by the Bailiffs was 113, or 

 somewhat over 17 per cent., or 10 per cent, above the previous year's mortality, 

 and two per cent, above the average percentage during seven years previous to 

 last year. The death percentages for last ten years were as follows :— 1889, 13 

 per cent. ; 1890, 13 per cent. ; 1891, 18 per cent. ; 1892, 16 per cent. ; 1893, 

 19 per cent. ; 1894, 8 per cent. ; 1895, 9 per cent. ; 1896, 21 per cent. ; 1897, 

 7 per cent. ; 1898, 17 per cent. The first dead fish was found on 30th October, 

 and the heaviest death rate was during the month of January, among the fish 

 which had spawned during the preceding month. With a very few 

 exceptions, the dead fish were spawned, and were composed as follows : — Male 

 sea trout, 2 ; female do., 8 ; male grilse, 62 ; female do., 1 ; male salmon, 31 ; 

 female do., 9 — total, 113. 



IV — Poaching during the Year. 



Three cases of salmon poaching during the close time, implicating five 

 persons, were detected during the season. The accused in one of the cases was 

 tried and convicted before the Sheriff Court at Inverness, and sentenced to pay 

 a fine of 10s., with £2 4s. lOd. of expenses, or fourteen days' imprisonment. 

 The accused person in another case was convicted before the Sheriff Court at 

 Banff, and sentenced to pay a fine of £2, with £1 7s. 6d. of expenses, or seven 

 days' imprisonment. Three accused in another case were brought before a 

 J. P., and admonished. During the open time two persons were found angling 

 on Spey and having smolts or salmon fry in their possession. They were 

 taken before a J.P., and cautioned and admonished. 



V. — Bye-Laivs. 



The Bye-laws relating to dam dykes, mill lades, sluices, hecks, &c, were 

 fairly well attended to during the season. The mill lade, sluices, and dam 

 dyke at Dell of Druie Sawmill at Rothiemurchus have not been kept quite in 

 conformity with the requirements of the Bye-laws for some seasons back, but 

 some improvements have been made upon them during the last few weeks 

 which will have the effect of improving matters for the coming season. A new 

 dam dyke on the Dullan at Dufftown is to be erected for a lade to give driving 

 power to the Mortlach Distillery. This new dyke is to take the place of the 

 present dam dyke erected some ten years ago, and which will be removed on 

 completion of the new one, which will be situated some 300 yards further up 

 the stream, and which is to be constructed in accordance with the require- 

 ments of the Bye-laws. 



VI. — General Remarks. 



I advocated strongly in a report to the Spey Board last year as to the 

 advisability of opening up the mouth of the river Druie to permit of a run for 

 spawning fish getting up to fine spawning redds on the Druie and its tributaries. 

 The present state of the mouth is all but a complete obstruction to fish. I 

 am of opinion that there would now be no objections or conditions placed in 

 the way of having this essential piece of work carried out. 



The river and sea coast net salmon fishing opened on 11th February, and 

 closed again for the season on 26th August. The observance given by the 



