of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



37 



THE DISTRICT OF THE RIVER COXON. 

 Take of Fish— 



1. (a) and (6) Salmon and grilse below the average ; (c) at three of the 



fishing stations about the average; at the four remaining stations below 



the average ; {d) below the average. 

 3. {a) On the opening day of the fishing, 11th February; (6) June and July; 



(c) grilse ran from the beginning of May to the close of the fishing. 



The main run of sea-trout is in March and April. Clean sea-trout 



in tidal waters of Conon at all seasons. 

 5. (a) Several were caught weighing from 18 lbs. to 22 lbs. ; (6) about 



26 lbs.; {c) about 20 lbs. 



Protection — 



1. 1896-7, £2590. 



2. Is. 4d. per £. 



3. One permanent inspector and four temporary bailiffs. 



4. Yes; against a crew of fishermen from Cromarty for fishing with a 



small-meshed sweep-net and killing fish of the salmon kind. Conviction 

 obtained, and the crew fined 10s. each, with £1 of expenses, or 7 days' 

 imprisonment. 



Obstructions to the Passage of Fish — 



2. The cruives in this district have not been fished in 1897. 



3. There is one dam in this district ; it is not worked in accordance with the 



bye-law. Schedule G. There are two cruives in this district ; they are 

 worked in accordance with the bye-law, Schedule F, regulating the 

 same. 



5. Yes ; at all times. 



7. The Brahan net and cruive fishing have not been worked during the last 

 eight seasons, whereby large numbers of salmon and grilse have ascended 

 to the angling waters. 



The Spawning Season — 



1. About the 6th October. 



2. Between the 5th and 15th November. 



3. About the middle of December. 



4. From the middle of October to the 15th November the river was down 



to summer level, and during the rest of the spawning season the river 

 was in heavy flood. 



5. I noticed that there was a decrease of spawning salmon in the lower 



spawning grounds of the Conon, Blackwater, and Orrin; but in the 

 upper spawning grounds of the Conon, and on all the spawning grounds 

 of the Meig, the number of salmon on the spawning beds was fully up 

 to the average of the last eight spawning seasons. 



6. There are good spawning grounds in the River Conon from the tidal 



waters, and in the tributaries Blackwater, Orrin, and Meig. 



Kelts — 



1. In the beginning of March. 



2. From the last week of March to the end of April. 



3. About the end of May. 



4. Flood, half-flood, and low. 



S molts — 



1. March, April, May, and June 



2. Yes ; fairly good. 

 Artificial Propagation of Salmon — 



There is a salmon hatchery at Conon Bridge. It partly belongs to Colonel 

 M'Kenzie of Seaforth, and partly to the District Board. Last season 

 I hatched a number of ova taken from the River Brora in exchange for 

 a like number taken from the River Conon, and the fry, when seven 

 weeks old, I transferred to the lower reaches of the Conon. 



