oi the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



55 



APPENDIX II. 



A COMPAKISON OF THE KELATIVE RESULTS OF CERTAIN" 

 NET FISHERIES. SEASON 1902. 



BY 



W. L. CALDERWOOD, 



Inspector of Salmon Fisheries for Scotland. 



I have been favoured with statements, from three separate localities in 

 Scotland, giving the actual numbers of salmon, grilse, and sea-trout taken 

 each day of the season of 1902. For the extremely interesting and valu- 

 able information supplied, I desire to thank the Harbour Commissioners 

 of Aberdeen ; Dr. Almond,* who exclusively nets the Kyle of Sutherland ; 

 and Mr. Charles Turner, who exclusively nets the river Nith in Dumfries- 

 shire. Before comparing the results it is necessary to state that the 

 Aberdeen Harbour Commissioners have three distinct fisheries in the Dee 

 District — one, the Midchingle Fishery, situated in the tidal waters or 

 lowest reaches of the river Dee, and which is carried on by net and coble 

 alone ; the Raik and Stell Fishery on the coast to the north of the river 

 mouth, carried on by means of bag net and fly net; and the Greyhope 

 Fishery on the coast to the south side of the river mouth, including the 

 nets on the south breakwater, carried on by means of bag net alone. The 

 Kyle of Sutherland net fishing consists, as at present worked, of six net and 

 coble shots in the tidal waters of the united Shin, Oykell, and Carron at the 

 Kyle near Bonar Bridge. The Nith Fishery is also worked by net and 

 coble in the tidal waters ol that river from the caul or weir of Dumfries 

 downwards, a certain amount of supplementary fishing being carried on by 

 means of haaf net. 



In the results which I now give, in the form of charts of curves 

 showing relative produce without giving numbers of fish, it is further 

 necessary for me to state that, while the Kyle and Nith results include all 

 fish taken by means of net, there are net fishings in the river Dee other 

 than those of the Aberdeen Harbour Commissioners. These other 

 fishings are in the fresh water, farther up the river, and while I am 

 unable to state how the Midchingle Fishery may compare with any of 

 the others, we may recollect that the Harbour Commissioners have, as it 

 were, the first chance of netting each run of fish which enters the river. 



In the three localities which I am now able to compare, it will be con- 

 venient first to call attention to a few points of interest in the Dee 

 results — the Dee being an early river and in a state of high efficiency 

 — and then to compare the conditions there found with those of 

 the northern fishery and then those of the southern fishery, where, in the 

 Nith, we have an example of a river in which many influences have com- 

 bined to diminish the stock of fish, and which unfortunately we must 

 now consider as a late river in a low state of efficiency. 



* Deceased since the above was written. 



