of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



7 



number of different hands, and that each salmon fisher endeavours to place 

 his nets rather further out to sea than those of his neighbours. It should 

 be mentioned that between St Andrews and the mouth of the Tay, and 

 again for a short distance to the north of that river, the steamer was 

 not able to approach sufficiently near to the shore to enable the 

 number of nets to be counted. In the former case, however, their 

 approximate number has since been furnished me by the clerks of the 

 Tay District Board, and in the latter by the tacksman of the fisheries, 

 who was on board the 1 Empress of India.' 



There are very few nets on the coast between Buchan Ness and Rose- Buchan Ness 

 hearty. Owing to the shoals off the greater part of this coast it was to Roseheart > 

 necessary to keep a wide distance from the shore, which prevented the 

 nets being seen from the deck of the steamer, and I am indebted to Mr 

 Boyd, Peterhead, for information regarding their number and position. 

 From this information it appears that there are a few nets on the north 

 side of the river Ugie, and one immediately to the north of Scotstown 

 Head. The latter is the only net in the section south of Cairnbulg Point, 

 while there are but two in the section immediately west of that point. 



Proceeding westwards along the southern shore of the Moray Firth Moray and 

 the nets gradually become more numerous. In the ten-mile division Pentland 

 between Gamrie Head and Portsoy, where the river Deveron enters the * irtns ' 

 sea, their number is just sufficient to enable a double red line to be drawn, 

 and as the river Spey is approached their number is again indicated by 

 the same sign. The proprietor of the coast fishings on both sides of the 

 river Spey allows no fixed nets to be erected within two and a half miles 

 to the east, and three and a half miles to the west of that river's mouth. 

 To the west of the river, both on the southern shores of the Moray 

 Firth as well as on the northern shores as far as Tarbet Ness, these nets 

 are erected in very large numbers. On the east coast of Sutherlandshire 

 the proprietor of the fishings makes use of no fixed nets. On the 

 shores of Caithness-shire fixed nets are fairly numerous between Dunbeath 

 and Clyth Ness, and in Sinclair, Dunnet, and Thurso Bays, but on other 

 parts of this coast, and on the north coast of Sutherlandshire, this method 

 of fishing is restricted almost entirely to the erection of a few nets as 

 near the mouths of the rivers as the law will permit. From Duncansbay 

 Head to Dunnet Head I was unable to inspect the coast, as on arriving 

 at the former headland a strong adverse tide was encountered, and it 

 being already late m the evening, the ( Vigilant's ' course was directed 

 to Hoy in Orkney, where she anchored for the night, and the following 

 morning she proceeded direct to Dunnet Head. I was informed, however, 

 at Thurso, that no fixed nets were erected along that shore ; indeed, that 

 the strength of the tide made it impossible for any net to stand. Time 

 would not permit of an inspection being made of the deeply indented 

 coast between Strathy Point and Cape Wrath. This omission, however, 

 is of the less consequence, as information regarding the number of nets 

 used on that coast has, as already mentioned, been furnished me by the 

 factor to the proprietor of those fishings. From this information it 

 appears that there are now no bag-nets between Armadale and Cape 

 Wrath. From Strathy Point the ' Vigilant ' proceeded direct to Storno- 

 way, and from thence to Tobermory, in Mull. At Tobermory I left her, 

 and returned to Edinburgh. 



So far as I was able to ascertain, 1444 fixed nets were erected on the Number of 

 coast between Berwick-on-Tweed and Cape Wrath, of which 1174 were n ®*? *? j J r C08t 

 bag-nets and 270 fly-nets. It would be impossible, however, without 0 s img " 

 direct communication with the proprietors and lessees, to state with accur- 

 acy the total number of nets used at these fishings, as although great care 



