of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



39 



1887. 



April. A further purchase was made from Howietoun Fishery of 

 common trout ova, which were hatched out successfully by 

 the water-bailiff, and put into the small rill above mentioned 

 and the Smeaton Burn, ..... 2,000 



June. Dr. Thos. F. Spence made another present of young fish, reared 

 by himself — American Brook Trout — which were also placed 

 in the Smeaton Burn, ..... 500 



1888. 



May. 2000 eyed-ova of 'Loch Leven,' from Howietoun Hatchery, 

 and 2000 eyed-ova common trout, from Mr Armistead's 

 hatchery at the Solway, were hatched out by the water-bailiff 

 during the winter, and the fry were placed in the rill above 

 mentioned and the Smeaton Burn during this month, . 4,000 



It seems clear, from the above statement, that there are many rivers in 

 Scotland now neglected and uncared for, and to a great extent depleted of 

 fish, which might be improved and restored if taken in hand by active and 

 energetic associations for the improvement of the angling. 



UNCHARTERED SALMON WATERS IN SCOTLAND. 



Much has been spoken and written about the unchartered salmon 

 waters in Scotland in connection with the late Salmon Fisheries Con- 

 solidation Bill. 



The following recommendation, agreed to at a meeting of the Forth 

 District Board, dated 4th March 1870, and published on page 86 of the 

 Report of 1871 by Messrs Buckland and Young, Special Commissioners 

 appointed to inquire into the effects of recent legislation on the Salmon 

 Fisheries in Scotland, is worthy of attention as containing practical 

 suggestions for the disposal and taxation of all the ungifted Salmon 

 Waters in Scotland. This recommendation is supported by Messrs 

 Walpole and Young in their Report of 1875 on the operation of the 

 Tweed Fisheries Acts of 1857 and 1859, in which they write as follows, 

 under the head of 1 Unchartered Waters on the Tweed' : — 'This recom- 

 4 mendation was supported by the District Boards of the rivers Spey, 

 ' Deveron, Annan, and Lochy. It is at all events clear and definite, and 

 ' proposes to give, in the first place, to the riparian owners who have no 

 ' title, the power of buying from the Crown the right of salmon fishing 

 ' in the waters ex adverso of their properties. On the other hand, the 

 ' proposals made with regard to this subject by most of the witnesses who 

 ' gave evidence before us had for their principal object the depriving of 

 ' these riparian proprietors of any chance of acquiring the right of salmon 

 ' fishing in the ungifted waters — except as members of the public — and 

 ' the conferring of that right on the public generally. This, we venture 

 ' to think, would be an intolerable hardship on these proprietors, and a 

 ' very doubtful boon to the public ; and we cannot, therefore, recommend 

 ' that any such proposals should be adopted.' 



Recommendation by Forth District Board. — 'In the event of any 

 ' amended Act being introduced, it would be highly desirable to have 

 ' clauses in it constituting a right of property in salmon, as vested 

 ' in some one or other throughout the whole extent of salmon-waters, 

 ' and the power of taxing such a property. The Crown should have 

 ' the ungifted portions of these waters valued, and offered at such valuation 

 ' to the parties whose lands are ex adverso such fishings, confirming the right 

 ' by Act, and if the proprietors of the lands refuse, then the said fishings 

 ' should be sold by public roup ; but whether so gifted or sold, or reserved 

 ' by the Crown, the party in whom such property is vested, whether it be 



