of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



27 



XI. 



I approve of an Act to prohibit the sale of salmon during the annual close 

 time lor net fishing. 



XII. 



Pollutions. 



Sheep washing is the only pollution we have to contend against in our 

 rivers. Since the smearing of sheep with tar has been dropped, and M'Dougall's 

 sheep-clip used instead, the washing does not appear to have the injurious effect 

 it formerly had. No dead trout or fish of any kind are now to be seen in the 

 washing pools ; for most of the sheep are washed in off-burns, and artificially 

 made ponds. 



XIII. 



Salmon Disease. 



No salmon disease has as yet made its appearance in any of the rivers in this 

 district. 



XIV. 



There is no doubt but in remote localities spears are used for killing salmon 

 on small streams, where the fish are sometimes left after a spate in shallow 

 pools, where they are easily seen and captured. Otters are not now in use. 



Fishing at Tongue. — The fishing at Tongue was fairly good during the 

 few days I spent there. On the best day, six anglers brought into the 

 hotel a grilse and 70 lbs. weight of yellow trout, captured in the fresh- 

 water lochs, and 13 sea-trout, weighing 19 lbs., caught in the salt-water 

 of the Kyle by spinning with the natural sand eel. 



Harbour at Island Talmine. — An admirable fishing-boat harbour might 

 be constructed in the Kyle of Tongue, where the largest sized fishing 

 boats could be perfectly sheltered and in deep water at all times of the 

 tide, by joining Talmine Island on the west side of Kyle to the mainland, 

 from which it is not far distant. It is about 50 miles from Scrabster 

 Roads, near Thurso, to Loch Emboli ; and, at present, throughout the 

 whole stretch of that rocky and tempestuous coast, there is not a single 

 harbour. Yet there is great plenty and variety of fish, and the want of 

 such a harbour is deeply felt. Mr Box, the factor of Tongue House, told 

 me that there are whiting, haddock, herrings, turbot, ling, and cod to be 

 found in the seas near Tongue, and dwelt strongly on the advantages 

 which the establishment of such a harbour would have in developing and 

 encouraging the fishings. 



Since then, Mr Box has written me a letter on the subject, dated 9th 

 February 1889, from which I extract the following: — 



There can be no doubt about the great importance and usefulness of a deep 

 water pier or jetty in this district. There is nothing of the sort between 

 Scrabster and Loch Inver ; the pier in Loch Erriboll not being available at low 

 water, and there is no harbour or pier of any sort between Scrabster and Loch 

 Erriboll. The consequence is that the fishing in the district can only be carried 

 on in a very limited manner, principally for home consumption ; because, as 

 there are no railways within 50 miles of Talmine, any fish for market must go 

 by sea — and there is now no means of communication. There is a large fishing 

 population on both sides of the Kyle of Tongue and in the surrounding district, 

 and the fishing grounds are among the best in the kingdom, containing the 

 finest fish of all sorts. If there were landing accommodation, stores and curing 

 premises would soon spring up. Regular steam communication with the rail 

 at Thurso would follow, and a large and valuable industry would be created, 

 providing work for a large class of men, with numerous dependants, who can- 

 not now follow the fishing because of the want of harbour accommodation. At 



