of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



9 



It will be observed from these explanations that the conditions under 

 which bag-nets are used are too various to enable a general estimate of 

 the value and importance of this industry to be based on the evidence 

 given above ; it may, however, be worthy of note that a salmon fisher of 

 long and varied experience in this method of fishing gave as his opinion 

 that on an average a pair of bag-nets, that is to say, one net on shore and 

 the other in use, fully equipped and in fishing order, might be estimated 

 to cost about £33 ; that about half as much again must be spent 

 annually to keep them in fishing order ; and that five men, whose wages 

 with fish money averaged about 22s. a week, would be required to work 

 nine nets. If this estimate is correct, and if the cost of fly-nets 

 and boats be taken as already stated, the amount of capital in- 

 volved in nets and boats employed at the fixed net fishings between 

 Berwick-on-Tweed and J[Cape Wrath may be stated in round numbers 

 at about fifty thousand pounds, the annual cost of maintaining and 

 fishing them at a similar sum, and the number of fishermen employed 

 at about 850. 



Besides inspecting the salmon fisheries on the east and north coasts inspection of 

 of Scotland, I visited, by the direction of the Board, several other dams on river 

 localities during the year. At the request of the Police Committee of the Tl11, 

 Tweed Commissioners I was authorised by the Fishery Board to inspect 

 the dams or caulds at Twizel, Heaton, Etal, and Ford Forge on the river 

 Till, a tributary of the Tweed, for the purpose of advising the Com- 

 missioners as to certain fish -passes which it was proposed to make over 

 these dams. Plans of the proposed fish-passes, which I subsequently drew 

 up, were forwarded, together with an explanatory report, to Messrs James 

 & David W. B. Tait, W.S., Kelso, Clerks to the Tweed Commissioners. 



On the 28th February, by the direction of the Board, I held an inquiry Variation of 

 at Newton-Stewart on the question of the variation of the animal ^Jnie fn Sstrict 

 close time in the district of the river Cree. With regard to this inquiry, 0 f r i ver c reef 

 on the result of which I have already submitted a special report to the 

 Board, it may be mentioned that the District Board of the river Cree 

 had petitioned the Secretary for Scotland to vary such close time in 

 terms of the 9th section of the Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Act, 1868 

 (31 & 32 Vict., c. 123), but that this petition was presented on the 

 understanding that a similar petition was being presented regarding the 

 variation of the annual close time in the district of the river Bladenoch. 

 No Board, however, had been formed for the Bladenoch district, and 

 the Earl of Galloway, by whom the petition was made, not being sole pro- 

 prietor of the salmon fisheries in the district, could not exercise the 

 powers of a District Board, and his petition, therefore, could not be 

 entertained. Under these circumstances the petitioners, who were of 

 opinion it would not be expedient to vary the annual close time in one 

 district without at the same time varying it in the other, requested that 

 the consideration of their petition might be delayed. 



The use of hang or drift nets in the estuaries of the rivers Tay and Use of hang or 

 Forth formed the subject of a memorial by the Tay District Board to dril "t n . ets in 

 the Secretary for Scotland, and I was directed by the Fishery Board, to arJd Forthf ^ 

 whom the memorial was remitted, to visit these districts for the purpose 

 of inquiriug into the matter. The result of my inquiries I have already 

 had the honour of making known to the Board in two special reports. 



A communication was received from the Chairman of the Annan and Conference of 

 Nith District Boards, intimating that it was proposed to hold a eon- Annan and 

 ference for the consideration and discussion of proposals with a view of Boaro5 1StriCt 

 promoting legislation for the removal of the many anomalies which 



