of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



3f) 



Protection— 



1. The assessable rental for 1909 was £1095 13s. 



2. The assessment levied was 14 per cent. 



3. The water bailiffs employed are 5 in number. 



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



prosecutions for taking smolts, 1 conviction obtained, and fine of 10s. 

 imposed, besides £2 15s. 6d. of expenses ; other charge not proven. 

 Two prosecutions for taking fish by clip, convictions obtained, and fines 

 of 9s. 6d. imposed in both cases, besides £2 3s. and £2 10s. 6d. of 

 expenses. 



Obstructions to the Passage of Fish— 



1. Dam dyke at Upper Mill of Allardice, which has now ceased working. 



2. Are the bye-laws observed in every case ? — Yes. 



The Salmon Disease— 



1. Disease made its appearance this year in the month of November, and 



reached its height in February. 

 The river was free of diseased fish in the middle of March . 



2. The number of diseased fish taken from the river and destroyed was as 



follows : — 



Males. Females. 



Kelts, 9 8 



Clean, - — 1 



The Spawning- Season— 



1. Fish were first noticed spawning on 2nd November. 



2. The greatest number spawned in November, December, and January. 



3. Spawning ceased about the end of February. 



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



ing season is regarded as having been very good. Fish were plentiful, 

 and the river ran slightly in flood during most of the spawning season. 



Smolts— 



1. Smolts were noticed to be migrating seawards in the first week of April up 



to the end of June. 



2. As a smolt year 1909 was very good. 



REPORT FROM DEE DISTRICT. 



Take of Fish- 



1. State whether the take of fish has been above or below the average of 

 previous years — 



(a) By fixed engines in the sea — A good average. 

 (6) By sweep net in tidal or fresh waters — Above an average, 

 (c) By rod and line — Below the average, chiefly owing to the ex- 

 ceptionally low state of the river during the month of 

 September. 



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



Grilse — First grilse got early in May. The chief run was in July, but 

 then it ceased rather suddenly, so that the grilse fishing for the year 

 was decidedly below the average. Sea Trout were got from the com- 

 mencement of the fishing season. The chief takes were in July. 



4. The weight of the heaviest salmon taken during the season was 48 lbs. 

 The particulars of time and place of capture are : — 48 lbs., by fixed engine, 



at Aberdeen Harbour fishings, on 22nd July ; 35 lbs., by sweep net, at 

 Pot and Ford's fishings, Lower Dee, on 4th August ; 38 lbs., by rod and 

 line, at Drum (8 to 9 miles up river), on 25th October. 



Protection— 



1. The assessable rental for 1909 was ,£18,335 14s. 5d. 



2. The assessment levied was at the rate of 5J per cent., yielding £1008 9s. 5d. 



3. The water bailiffs employed are 23 in number ; of these, 6 were for short 



periods during spawning season, and 4 for the whole year. 



