48 



Appendices to Twenty -eighth Annual Report 



The Spawning Season— 



1. Fish were first noticed spawning on 26th October on Helmsdale, 16th 



October on Laxford, 19th October on Brora, 20th October on Inchard, 

 beginning November on Inver and Kirkaig. 



2. The greatest number spawned 4th to 10th November. 



3. Spawning still continuing (14th November). 



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



spawning season is regarded as moderately good. On East Coast the 

 number of spawning fish was above the average, but owing to high floods 

 season cannot be regarded as too good. On West Coast the season may 

 be taken as a good average one as far as number of breeding fish are 

 concerned, but rivers being in high spate, some of spawning beds 

 must have been shifted and a lot of spawn washed away. 



Smolts— 



1. Smolts were noticed to be migrating seawards in the second and third weeks 



of April. 



2. As a smolt year 1909 was a very good season on East and average season 



on West Coast. 



Most pleasing feature of season's fishing was fine appearance of grilse. 

 The rivers have remained exceptionally high during year, which was 

 very favourable to rod-fishing. The high catch of salmon and grilse on 

 the River Fleet will be noted, and this year was the earliest on which 

 salmon have been taken on the River Inchard (15th June). The Lax- 

 ford has done better than it has for 15 years. 



COUNTY OF SUTHERLAND— NORTH COAST (RIVERS HALLA- 

 DALE, NAVER, BOUGIE, KINLOCH, AND HOPE). 



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, 



(b) By sweep net in tidal or fresh waters, 



(c) By rod and line, 



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



(a) By fixed engine — 666 salmon, 1740 grilse. 

 {b) By sweep net — 1014 salmon, 2866 grilse, 

 (c) By rod and line — 684 salmon and grilse. 



3. Expressed as percentages for each month of the season, so as to show the 



times of greatest run, the figures are : — 





Feb. 



Mar. 



April. 



May. 



J une. 



July. 



Aug. 



Sept. 



By Fixed Engine, . 









9 



50 



36 



5 





By Sweep Net, 









9 



41 



50 







By Rod and Line, . 



2 



14 



24 



17 



8 



14 



7 



14 



Particulars as to the times grilse and sea trout appeared, as included in the 

 above return, are as follow : — First grilse caught 11th May, by bag-net ; 

 first sea trout caught 22nd May, by sweep net. 

 4. The weight of the heaviest salmon taken during the season was 39 lbs. 



The particulars of time and place of capture are : — Caught 9th August 

 1909, in bag-net, east from Bighouse Head. 



Protection— 



1. The assessable rental for 1909 was £1300 per Valuation Roll, but angling 



mostly let with shootings and not apportioned at full value. 



2. No assessment levied. 



Slightly above the aver- 

 age. 



