38 



Appendices to Twenty-sixth Annual Report 



4. Particulars as to prosecutions instituted are briefly as follows : — Prosecu- 

 tions were instituted against two tacksmen of bag net fishings at Geanies 

 and Rocktield for failure to observe the weekly close time — Saturday, 

 3rd, to Monday, 5th August 1907. The trials took place at Tain on 

 23rd October 1907, and both respondents were acquitted on the ground 

 that it was too stormy to put the nets out of fishing order on the 

 Saturday night. The Sheriff-Substitute refused to convict on account 

 of the failure to remove on the Sunday in respect of the decision in 

 Middleton v. Paterson, 6 F. (J.C.) 27. The Board have appealed 

 against this decision to the High Court of Justiciary, and the case 

 has been put out for hearing before a full bench in view of the 

 importance of the question raised. The date of the hearing has not 

 yet been fixed, but the case will no doubt be disposed of during the 

 present session. A print of the stated case is sent herewith. 



Note. — For the decision in this case, vide Appendix IV. p. 73. — W. L. C. 



Pollutions— 



1. The existing pollutions are : — None. 



The Salmon Disease- 

 No disease. 



The Spawning Season— 



1. Fish were first noticed spawning about the middle of October. 



2. The greatest number spawned between 1st November and 15th November. 



3. Spawning ceased about the middle of December. 



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



spawning season is regarded as about the average. 



Smolts— 



1. Smolts were noticed to be migrating seawards in March, April, and May. 



2. As a smolt year 1907 was fairly good. 



Artificial Propagation of Salmon— 



1. The number of ova secured locally during the past season, together 



with a consignment from the River Spey, near Fochabers, was 125,000. 



2. In securing ova the numbers of male and female fish captured were 



respectively :— In the Eiver Con on, 70 and 35. 



REPORT FROM ALNESS DISTRICT. 

 Take of Fish— 



1. As compared with the average results of previous years, the take of fish 



generally throughout the district has been below the average. 

 More particularly it has been 



(a) By fixed engines in the sea — No fixed engines in district. 



(b) By sweep net in tidal or fresh waters, below the average. 



(c) By rod and line, below the average. 



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

 A few salmon were landed by rod during April and May ; a few were 

 got by net in June. Best run of sea trout was in July. Grilse 

 commenced to run in July. Best fishing of salmon and grilse from 

 middle of July to middle of August. Best rod fishing was during 

 September and October. 



2. The weight of the heaviest salmon taken during the season was about 



25 lbs. by sweep net, and heaviest by rod about 13 lbs. 

 The particulars of time and place of capture are : — Taken on the upper 

 reaches of the River Alness. 



