of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



271 



4. The weight of the heaviest salmon taken during the season was (a) in 

 Clyde nets, about 19 lbs. ; (6) in Loch Lomond, 20 lbs., at the Endrick 

 mouth, with fly, on 2nd June. 



Protection— 



3. The water bailiffs employed varied in number from 3 to 7. The staff is 



at full strength in August, September, and October, and is adequate to 

 supervise the whole watershed, extensive as that is. A motor boat 

 patrols Loch Lomond. Cases of serious poaching are now rare in the 

 district. 



4. Particulars as to prosecutions instituted are briefly as follows : — A "smolt" 



case and a "kelt" case were successfully prosecuted at Dumbarton. At 

 Stirling a case of alleged "stroke hauling" on the Endrick, at Fintry, 

 was found not proven. 



Obstructions to the Passage of Fish— 



1. Dam dykes disused, built, or in prospect —None. 



4. Natural obstructions not yet dealt with are as detailed in a former report. 

 There is no change in the circumstances. 



Pollutions— 



1. The existing pollutions are as formerly specified. Thanks to careful super- 



vision by the manufacturers on the Leven, even in a season of unusual 

 drought, the river remained in a state of comparative purity. On one 

 day only, viz., 20th July, were fish reported to be in a sick and dying- 

 condition. 



2. Remedial measures are also as detailed in former reports. It is submitted 



that the Leven will never reach a satisfactory condition of purity until 

 the Burgh of Dumbarton faces the problem of treating the increasing 

 quantity of domestic sewage which is poured in a crude state into the 

 river in the lower tidal pools. 



The Salmon Disease— 



1. Practically none. 



The Spawning Season— 



1. Fish were first noticed spawning ; — Sea trout, 9th October ; salmon, 28th 



November. 



2. The greatest number spawned : — Sea trout, in November ; salmon, in 



December. 



3. Spawning ceased : — Sea trout, end of December ; salmon, middle of January. 



4. As regards numbers of breeding fish, and state of the water, the past 



spawning season is regarded as favourable. 



Smolts— 



1. Smolts were noticed to be migrating seawards about the end of March. 



2. As a smolt year 1911 was remarkable for an unusually large and prolonged 



run of smolts to the sea. Nothing like it has been seen in the district 

 for many years. 



REPORT FROM AYR DISTRICT. 



Take of Fish— 



1. The take of fish was very much below the average owing to the abnormally 



dry season. The sea fishings are not let by the proprietor, and as there 

 is no netting employed in any part of the river, the fish have all been 

 taken by rod and line. 



2. As most of the proprietors do not keep an accurate, or any record at all, of 



the times when and the actual number of fish caught, it is impossible to 

 give reliable information on the subject. 



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



The first run of fish took place on 21st April. No runs of fish of any 

 consequence took place after that until towards the end of the season. 



4. The weight of the heaviest salmon taken during the season was 25 lbs. 



Captured with minnow about one mile from the sea. 



