54 Appendices to Twenty-eighth Annual Report 



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



One man was interdicted after being caught on various occasions 

 fishing without leave of the proprietors of the fishing. 



One man was convicted and fined for salmon poaching. 



One man was convicted and fined for dragging for salmon by means 

 of a heavy metal minnow. 



One man was convicted and fined for a similar offence. 



One man was convicted and fined for using set lines. 



One man was convicted and fined for dragging for salmon by means 

 of a heavy metal minnow. 



Four men were convicted and fined for poaching by means of a net. 



One man was convicted and fined for taking salmon at a fish pass by 

 means of a gaff. 



One man was convicted and fined for fishing with roe. 



There was a serious case of netting in the river Lugar, a tributary of 

 the Ayr, during the season, but as one of the men implicated lost 

 his life, the Board did not consider it advisable in the circum- 

 stances to prosecute. 



Obstructions to the Passage of Fish— 



1. Dam dykes disused, built, or in prospect : — The dam dyke at Ballochmyle, 



which the Board consider an obstruction, has not yet been remedied, but 

 it is hoped the matter will be remedied early in the coming season. 



2. The bye-laws are generally observed. 



The Salmon Disease— 



1. Disease made its appearance this year in the month of Jan nary, and reached 



its height in February. 

 The river was free of diseased fish in the end of February. 



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



follows : — 



Males. Females. 

 Kelts, ..... 149 23 



The Spawning Season— 



1. Fish were first noticed spawning on 5th November, 1908. 



2. The greatest number spawned in November. 



3. Spawning ceased in the end of January. 



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



spawning season is regarded as beyond the average of previous years. 



Smolts— 



1. Smelts were noticed to be migrating seawards in April and May. 



2. As a smolt year 1909 was a good year. 



REPORT FROM DOON DISTRICT. 



Take of Fish— 



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



throughout the district was about the average. The sea nets for some 

 years have been entirely removed, with the consequence that the stock 

 of fish in the river has enormously increased. The number of fish caught 

 during the season would probably have been much greater, but owing 

 to the abnormal rainfall it was impossible for many days during the 

 season to angle with any hope of success. 



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



(b) By sweep net in fresh water, 30. 

 As many of the proprietors do not keep an accurate, or any record 

 at all, of the times w hen, and the actual number of fish caught, it is 

 impossible to give reliable information on the subject. The majority of 

 fish were killed in October, but a very considerable number were killed 

 in July. There were also a considerable number of spring fish killed 

 towards the end of April and beginning of May. 



