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Appendices to Fifteenth Annual Report 



years, con fined my observations to the river Fiddich for said season's fish 

 statistics. During last spawning season the number of salmon spawning beds 

 counted upon Fiddich was 715, and the total number of dead or dying fish 

 removed and buried by the bailiffs was 155. Calculating the percentage of fish 

 dying from the disease with the number of spawning beds counted upon the 

 stream during the last seven spawning seasons, the fish mortality from disease 

 on Fiddich has given the following percentages : — During the season of 1889-90, 

 13 per cent.; 1890-91, 18 per cent; 1891-92, 16 per cent.; 1892-93, 19 per 

 cent.; 1893-94, 8 percent.; 1894-95, 9 per cent.; 1895-96 (last year), 21 per 

 cent. This shows that the death rate of last year is at least 2 per cent, higher 

 than any of the recorded seasons — that is of season 1892-93, when the death 

 rate was 19 per cent. The first diseased dead fish was seen on 4th December 

 for last year (1895), giving 1 male grilse. The next return was on 24th 

 December, giving a total of 12 fish, being 6 male and 2 female salmon, with 

 4 male grilses. The next was on 4th January 1896, being a total of 7, viz., 

 4 male salmon and 3 male grilses. On 11th January, a total of 23, viz., 15 

 salmon and 8 grilses, all males. On 18th January, a total of 12, being 8 

 salmon and 4 grilses, all males. On 25th January, a total of 20, giving 12 

 salmon and 8 grilses, all males. On 31st January, a total of 16, being 9 salmon 

 and 7 grilses, all males. On 8th February, a total of 23, viz., 11 salmon and 

 12 grilses, all males. On 15th February, a total of 12, giving 5 male salmon 

 and 5 male and 2 female grilses. On 22nd February, a total of 8, being 1 

 salmon and 7 grilses, all males. On 29th February, a total of 16, giving 2 

 male and 1 female salmon, and 11 male and 2 female grilses. On 7th March, 

 a total of 3, being 2 male and 1 female salmon. On 28th March, a total 

 of 2, viz., 2 male grilses. This gives for the season 75 male and 4 female 

 salmon, and 72 male and 4 female grilses. All of the above were spawned fish. 

 During the first week of May 1896, some 6 diseased dead or dying clean salmon 

 were removed from the river Spey from the Aberlour and Wester Elchies 

 section of fishings. During the time in question, the weather was very warm 

 and the river exceedingly low, and the pools were well-stocked with salmon 

 all up and down the river, so that I consider, when everything is taken into 

 account, a few diseased clean fish in the river during a warm drought is more 

 of a sign of abundance of fish than an indication that salmon disease is gaining 

 or becoming more prevalent over the district. 



IV. — Poaching during the Year. 



Seven persons were brought before the Sheriff Court and convicted and fined 

 for poaching during the season, viz.: — One case of day poaching by killing 

 salmon with a gaff during the close time for rod and line ; one case of killing 

 salmon on Sunday with a spear ; one case of night poaching with torch light 

 and gaff ; one case of stoning fish on or disturbing salmon spawning beds ; and 

 one case — during open time — of taking and killing an unclean or unseasonable 

 salmon. 



V. — Bye-Laws. 



The Bye- Laws relating to Dam Dykes, Mill-Lades, Sluices, Hecks, &c, were 

 generally well kept and maintained over the district during the season. 

 Improvements, at request of Board clerks, were made upon the intake dam 

 dyke upon the Druie at Dell Sawmill, but the improvements did not wholly 

 remove the cause of difficulty that ascending fish encounter at said weir. 

 Regarding the case of the tenant of the Sawmill on the Dulnain at Carr-Bridge, 

 who failed after repeated requests through the Board clerks, &c, to put his 

 mill dam dyke and fish pass into proper order conform with the bye-laws, and 

 whose case was pending for prosecution at close of my last year's Report, it 

 came up before the Sheriff Court at Inverness on 24th September 1895. 

 Accused, instead of appearing in Court, sent a letter written by his agent at 

 Grantown admitting the offence. Along with this admission and the evidence 

 of the Superintendent and Inspector Brown, proving the nature of offence or 

 breach of bye-law, accused was convicted in absence, and sentenced to pay a 

 fine of £1, with £2, 14s. of expenses, or 14 days' imprisonment. 



