of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



37 



The Spawning- Season— 



1. Fish were first noticed spawning on 18th October. 



2. The greatest number spawned between 27th October and 12th November. 



3. Spawning ceased on 25th December. 



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



spawning season is regarded as above the average. Rivers in flood 

 the most of the time. 



Smolts— 



1. Smolts were noticed to be migrating seawards in Aprir. 



2. As a smolt year 1906 was about the average. 



Artificial Propagation of Salmon— 



1. The number of ova secured locally during the past season was 18,000. 



2. In securing ova the numbers of male and female fish captured were 



respectively 45 and 16. 



REPORT FROM SUTHERLAND (EAST AND WEST), BEING 

 FOR HELMSDALE, BRORA, FLEET, KIRKAIG, INVER, 

 LAXFORT), AND INOHARD DISTRICTS. 



Take of Fish— 



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



generally throughout the district has been about an average of previous 

 years with rod and line ; the catch of salmon with nets below the 

 average, and of grilse slightly above the average. 



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



(a) By fixed engine- Salmon, 410 ; grilse, 4643 ; trout, 157 (West 

 Coast bag nets). 



(6) By sweep net — Salmon, 536 ; grilse, 824 ; trout, 427 (Brora 

 net fishings). 



(c) By rod and line — River Helmsdale, upper beats, 468 ; lower 

 beats, 836— total, 1304. River Brora, 330 ; River Laxford, 

 99 ; Loch Stack, 31 salmon. 



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



times of greatest run, the figures are : — 





Jan. 



Feb. 



Mar. 



April. 



May. 



June. 



J uly. 



Aug. 



Sept. 



( Salmon, 

 By Fixed Engines Grilse, 

 (Trout, 









9-26 

 2-54 



19-3 

 •34 

 8-91 



53-41 



49-3 



33-76 



18-03 

 49-36 

 54-79 







( Salmon, 

 *By Sweep Net < Grilse, 

 (Trout, 







10-2 



53-8 



19-4 



2-83 

 •72 



4-2 

 30-67 

 52-38 



5-4 

 51-34 

 41-09 



7-2 

 15-16 

 5-81 





By Rod and Line, 



1-15 



3-14 



14-95 



17-63 



22-93 



16-41 



10-81 



8-9 



4-08 



West Coast 

 bag nets. 



Brora net 

 fishings. 



River 

 Helmsdale. 



* Fishing on river suspended till 1st May ; figures shown in March and April arrived at 

 by including fish netted in Loch Brora during these months. 



4. The weight of the heaviest salmon taken during the season was 37^ lbs., 

 by Scourie bag net. Two fish of 26^ lbs. were taken on the Helmsdale 

 by rod, one on No. 4 beat (upper) on May 10, 1906, and one on No. 

 4 beat (lower) on April 26, 1906. 

 D 



