of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



53 



IV. — Poaching during the Year. 



Only one case of salmon poaching was detected by the bailiffs during the 

 close time, and this case was committed by four lodged-out Glasgow pauper 

 boys in the Braes of Glenlivet district. The accused were brought before a 

 J.P. and admonished. Upon the 11th February, the opening day of the 

 fishing, a man in the Aberlour district was detected with a foul or unseasonable 

 salmon in his possession. Accused was for this offence convicted before the 

 Sheriff Court at Banff, and sentenced to pay a fine of 10s., with £1 2s. 6d. of 

 expenses, or seven days' imprisonment. 



V. — Bye-Laws. 



The Bye-laws relating to dam dykes, mill lades, hecks, etc., were well 

 attended to during the season. The new dam dyke intake at Dullan, 

 for Mortlach distillery, mentioned in my report for last year as then in course 

 of construction, was completed at the beginning of October last year in a most 

 satisfactory way. During the summer and autumn of the present year, in con- 

 nection with the laying down of a railway siding to Mortlach distillery, the 

 Great North of Scotland Railway Company found it necessary to divert the 

 course of the Dullan stream some 300 or 400 yards opposite this distillery, 

 thus necessitating the substitution of a new dam dyke and intake for driving- 

 power to the woollen mills of Crachie, Dufftown, which have been bought by 

 and are now the property of the said railway company. The intake dam, 

 etc., have been erected in every detail in accordance with the Bye-laws. The 

 obstruction to ascending spawning fish on Fiddich at Dullan confluence, 

 caused through the design and construction of the original power water intake 

 for Glendullan distillery, has now, by order of the Board, and through a con- 

 cession as to water right charges or claims by His Grace the Duke of Richmond 

 and Gordon, been removed by the distillery firm changing the old intake from 

 the centre of Fiddich to the right bank edge of the stream, some 50 yards 

 further up stream. The change thus made will have the effect of again pro- 

 viding a good lead for ascending fish passing up to the Auchindoun and upper 

 reaches of Fiddich to the best of the spawning grounds. The old dam dyke on 

 Fiddich giving driving power to Balvenie Mills, near Dufftown, the property 

 of Mr. Findlay of Aberlour, which for many years has been very unsatisfactory 

 to the interests of ascending and descending spawning fish, has, by the order 

 and at the expense of the proprietor, been swept out of existence, and at a 

 heavy cost a model dyke, fish-pass, etc., which should stand for many years to 

 come, have been substituted. 



VI. — General Remarks. 



I would again request the Board to take into consideration the advisability 

 of removing the existing obstruction or barrier caused by an accumulation of a 

 naturally deposited shingle bank in the mouth of the Druie. Very fine un- 

 shifty spawning grounds exist upon the Luanic stream just below Loch 

 Morlich, upon the Richmond and Gordon estates, but owing to the obstruction 

 at the mouth of Druie fish are prevented and obstructed from getting up to 

 said grounds. From £5 to £10 would remedy the barrier during the summer 

 months. 



The sea coast and river net salmon fishing opened for the season on 11th 

 February, and closed again for the yearly close time on 26th August. The 

 carrying out of the weekly close times during the season were regularly 

 inspected by the Superintendent, the Inspector, and Sergeant Bailiff Charles 

 Chapman, Speymouth. There were no contraventions of the weekly close 

 times met with over the whole district during the season. It is right to 

 mention that on a few occasions, in consequence of stress of weather, it was 

 impracticable to slap the nets, as reported by me to the Board at the time. 



Another very successful year's operations were carried out under the able 

 management of Mr. Thomas Rae, Tugnet,at His Grace the Duke of Richriiond 

 and Gordon's salmon hatchery at Fochabers. During autumn and winter 

 last, 840,000 salmon ova were deposited within the hatchery and successfully 

 hatched, with a death-rate of not more than one per cent., of ova deposited. 

 The bulk of the fry thus hatched were, after attaining the age of seven or 



