2 Appendices to Twenty -eighth Annual Report 



which, if used in the Solway, would remove all cause of complaint, 

 and at the same time, I believe, catch white-fish most efficiently. I 

 would respectfully ask that the Board consider the need of bringing 

 in a bye-law on the subject of the pattern of fixed net to be used for 

 the capture of white-fish in the estuaries of the Solway. 



Nith. — When in Dumfries I had an opportunity of observing the 

 manner in which the salmon sweep nets are used in the river Nith 

 below the t@wn. As a result, I have had correspondence with the 

 Clerk of the District Fishery Board, and I hope that in future the 

 nets in question will not be fished in any way which may be regarded 

 as " drift net fishing." The stock of salmon in the Nith still remains 

 far from satisfactory ; spring fish are practically absent. Little has been 

 done, in spite of strong recommendations, to open up the weirs which 

 obstruct much of the natural spawning ground of the district. The 

 estuary is still polluted to a considerable extent, chiefly because the 

 new system of sewage purification does not, as yet, include the trade 

 waste from the large manufactories. The third cause of the district's 

 backward condition, viz., the excessive netting by means of paidle 

 nets and haaf nets in the estuary, has recently been the subject of 

 litigation, and is referred to in the Appendix dealing with white-fish 

 nets, to which I have already referred. So long as these conditions 

 remain, it is futile to hope for earlier-running fish; while to continue 

 even rod fishing later than the present season would, in my opinion, 

 be only adding to the risk of injury. 



Solway Bee. — When in the Kirkcudbright district, I took the 

 opportunity of visiting the Doaches of Tongueland. At the Big 

 Doach, the river being low and the traps open, I found that the water 

 had a fall of 2 feet 9 inches or 2 feet 10 inches ; that at the Priory 

 Doach the water falls 18 inches at the sill, and from the rocks at this 

 point makes a further descent of about 2 feet. At the Little Doach, 

 that is the one next the right bank, the water falls from the lower 

 sill about 2 feet, while a natural fall exists about 30 yards above. A 

 large and solid bastion of concrete has, since my last visit, been built 

 on the left side of this doach in place of the stonework in a wooden 

 frame which previously existed. I was much struck with the very 

 great waste of water which is allowed to continue. Just previous to 

 my visit the dam across the numerous channels above the mill had 

 been renewed, but the sill had been formed of creosoted -wood, which 

 I feared would for some time affect any fish lying below. A small 

 percentage of creosote in a river is sufficient to taint salmon to a 

 surprising degree. In spite of this renewal of the sill and the closing 

 up of gaps with stones, a great amount of water percolated through 

 the substance of the dyke, since no cement had been used. A more 

 remarkable waste was noticeable in a disused lade at the mill. The 

 lade now used runs behind the mill, i.e., the mill stands between 

 the river and the lade. The old lade is on the river side of the mill, 

 and is allowed to run full of water, and the old wheel, destitute now 

 of floats, still occupies its old site. I visited Tongueland on a 

 Saturday afternoon when the mill was not working, and found this 

 waste of water going on. The inference was clear that all through 

 the weekly close time the same waste would continue, and fish 

 checked by the doaches would be further impeded from overcoming 

 the obstructions at the only time during which they have much 



