of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



51 



REPORT FROM B LAD ENOCH DISTRICT. 

 Take of Fish— 



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



generally throughout the district has been : — The take of fish with 

 fixed engines in the tidal waters of the estuary at Innerwell nets is 

 reported by the tacksman to have been an unusually bad one, and of 

 late years there has been a gradual and consistent decrease in the 

 number of fish taken, though whether this is due to the formation of 

 sandbanks or the absence of fish he does not know. He adds, 

 however, that from experience elsewhere he fears the quantity 

 of fish taken in the south has been decreasing very considerably of 

 recent years. Owing to heavy rains and big water not so many fish 

 taken by sweep net in lower reaches, but more higher up. General 

 report from upper reaches that season was a good one and above 

 average. 



2. The actual number of fish caught has been as follows : — 



(a) By fixed engine, 1019. 



(6) By sweep net, 214. 



(c) By rod and line, 56. 

 4. The weight of the heaviest salmon taken during the season was : — In 

 fixed engine, at Innerwell, 25 lbs. (26th April), and 25 lbs. (22nd 

 August), and 16 J lbs. in sweep net in August. 



Protection— 



1. The assessable rental for 1906-7 was £454. 



2. The assessment levied was 3s. 4d. per £. 



3. The water bailiffs employed were three in number. 



4. Particulars as to prosecutions instituted are briefly as follow : — Action 



taken against W. Armstrong & Son, Ltd., woollen manufacturers, 

 Tarff Mills, on the small salmon river Tarff — a small tributary of the 

 River Bladenoch — to enforce compliance with the bye-laws. As a 

 result hecks have now been placed on the lade, and the firm have 

 undertaken to see to the due and proper closing of their sluice. Also 

 a fish pass has been formed by the firm in their dam dyke in virtue of 

 a special arrangemeut entered into between them and the Board 

 whereby the action was taken out of Court. 



The Salmon Disease— 



No disease observed. 



The Spawning Season— 



1. Reported that fish spawn in Bladenoch and tributaries from early in 

 November to middle of December, and that greatest number spawn 

 about end of November. 



4. Last spawning season reported as up to average. 



Smolts— 



1. Smolts were noticed to be migrating seawards in April. 



2. As a smolt year 1907 was reported as remarkably good. 



REPORT FROM CREE DISTRICT. 

 Take of Fish— 



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

 generally throughout the district has been 



(a) By fixed engines in the sea, much below average. 



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



(c) By rod and line, the season has been the best for the last 



decade. 



