258 Appendices to Thirty -first Anmcal Report 



3. Particulars as to the times grilse and sea trout appeared are as follow : — 



Sea trout were got at commencement of fishing season. Grilse 

 first appeared on the coast on 20th May, and in the river on 25th 

 June ; best run in July. 



4. The weight of the heaviest salmon taken during the season was 48 lbs. 

 The particulars of time and place of capture are : — At Muggiemoss, lower 



river, 48 lbs., by rod and line, on 21st October. On sea coast, by fixed 

 engine, 43 lbs., in August. At cruive fishings, by sweep net, 37 lbs., 

 also in August. 



Protection— 



1. The assessable rental for 1912 was £3381 Os. 9d. 



2. The assessment levied Avas at 18 per cent, thereon, yielding £608 lis. 8d. 



3. The water bailiffs employed are 15 in number, including inspector — 9 for 



five months, 3 for eight months, and 3 permanently. 



4. Particulars as to prosecutions instituted are briefly as follow : — There were 



14 prosecutions against persons for breaches of the Acts, implicating 

 18 men. Two of the cases, implicating 3 men, were for using gafis 

 in an attempt to take salmon. Four cases, implicating 7 men, for 

 having unreasonable salmon in possession. Two cases, implicating 2 

 men, for taking unseasonable salmon. One case, against 1 man, for 

 fishing with a hang net. Five cases, implicating 5 men, for using 

 instrument in dragging for salmon, or what is known as " sniggering." 

 Convictions were obtained in 10 of these cases, 3 were withdrawn, and 

 1 settled out of Court. The fines ranged from 10s. to £5, and expenses. 



Obstructions to the Passage of Fish— 



2. Are the bye-laws observed in every case 1 — No cause for complaint 



as to their not being observed. 



3. Fish passes built or in prospect : — As the outcome of negotiations 



between the fishing proprietors and the millowners, following upon the 

 judgment of the House of Lords in favour of the pursuers in an 

 action at the instance of the Earl of Kintore and other riparian 

 proprietors against Messrs. Pirie, the proprietors of Stoneywood 

 Mills, a private Act of Parliament was passed giving effect to an 

 agreement for the construction of works having for their object the 

 limitation for the abstraction of water from the river by the millowners, 

 and the affording of increased facilities to salmon ascending the river. 

 These works consist : — 

 (rt) At Stoneywood, of a large new fish pass in the Stoneywood dyke, 

 and the filling up of the old fish pass therein ; a spill weir wall in 

 the Stoneywood lade, with snow sluice, fixed crifice and 

 emergency sluice therein for the purpose of automactically 

 limiting the abstraction of water from the river. 

 (6) At Waterton, of the slapping of that dyke for the space of 40 feet, 

 and the closing up of the Waterton intake so as to prevent any 

 abstraction there, except at abnormal states of the river ; and 

 (c) At Muggiemoss, of a large new fish pass in the Upper dyke and a 

 subsidiary dyke with a fish pass of equal capacity there, so as to 

 form a pool between the upper and the subsidiary dykes. 

 Under the provisions of the Act of Parliament referred to, the millowners 

 are bound to keep the fish passages running full at all states of the 

 river, and in priority to their abstracting any water from the river 

 for the purposes of their mills, and it is hoped that the result of these 

 works will be the provision of a constant flow of water in the river at all 

 states, sufficient for enabling salmon to ascend at any time throughout 

 the year. 



4. No natural obstructions. 



Pollutions— 



1. The existing pollutions are : — The discharge from mills on the lower river, 



also at Bucksburn and other townships on or near the banks of the 

 upper river in the County of Aberdeen. 



2. Remedial measures : — Measures are being taken with the view of pre- 



venting pollution so far as it may be found possible to do so. 



