of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



1 1 



lowness of water-level it had become difficult for fish to ascend, while, 

 at the same time, the fish present in the various pools had ceased to 

 rise freely to the fly. A rise in the river was therefore decided 

 upon, and one of the two flood-gates of the Badenloch dam dyke 

 (which structure was described and figured in my report for 1904) 

 was opened its full extent, i.e., 4 feet 3 inches. The rise in the 

 upper waters was immediate and most marked, while at a distance 

 of seven miles down stream, below the junction of the Strath Beg 

 section of the river, the rise in water-level amounted to 5 inches. 

 This rise was allowed to continue for 21 hours, during which time 

 fish could move freely to higher pools, the water being in beautiful 

 " running order." On visiting Badenloch, which, under the new 

 conditions, covers about six square miles, I found that in the 21 

 hours the water-level had been reduced only 3 inches. Ample 

 water remained for subsequent floods which might be required 

 during the remainder of the summer. 



Forss. 



This Caithness river might be greatly improved. The two 

 noticeable requirements are a readjustment of the estuary limits — 

 which cannot under existing legislation be accomplished — and the 

 opening up of the fall which occurs at Forss House, about a mile 

 from the sea. The rocky creek, Crosskirk Bay, which forms the 

 estuary, is sufficiently narrow at its seaward opening to admit of 

 bag nets being run out from either side so that fish could be 

 seriously debarred from entering. Difficulties have also arisen in 

 the past as to the proper line of demarkation between the Crown 

 fishings on the west and the Forss Trustees' fishings on the east 

 side. This matter has now been settled, and the boundary laid off 

 by Mr. Carter, C.E., Edinburgh, iron posts having been erected for 

 the guidance of the tacksmen. This boundary-line and the 

 arrangement of the bag nets I inspected. In my opinion, however, 

 it is necessary, in order that the Forss may adequately contribute 

 to the stock of salmon in the neighbourhood, that the limits of the 

 estuary be extended so as to introduce a greater amount of sea 

 room between the extremities of the outrigged and converging 

 bag nets. 



The fall on the river is so serious that late-running spawners are 

 not at all likely to surmount it. A limited amount of spawning 

 ground exists in the mile of water below the fall, while the 

 excellent extent of water above is largely unused. Spring fish 

 enter the river, but are, of course, only found below the fall. 

 Grilse manage to ascend in summer by following a zig-zag course 

 up the ledges of rock when the water-flow is not too heavy. This 

 zig-zag course- might without great difficulty be simplified and 

 extended into the left bank by blasting so as to give a very much 

 easier gradient. The establishment of a District Fishery Board, 

 who would open up this fall and thus enable more spawning fish to 

 ascend, would, in my opinion, do much for the improvement of the 

 present declining stock of fish, and render this river of much 

 greater value. 



