of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 
0 
were running over the apron of the dam, and it is here that running fish 
generally attempt to ascend. But, owing to the length of the apron, they 
are always washed back, and no heavy or gravid salmon succeed in sur- 
mounting it. On this side of the river, there is an intake lade with sluices 
belonging to the Messrs Crombie ; and it would not be difficult or expen- 
sive to cut a passage from the dam to above the sluices through which 
salmon might ascend. But, undoubtedly, by far the most effectual means 
of doing away with the obstructive character of Mugiemoss dam would 
be to construct, about 20 yards below the toe of the apron of the dam, a 
subsidiary dam not less than 5 feet high. 'This salmon could easily sur- 
mount, and, after doing so, would find themselves in the pool created by 
the subsidiary dam which would have the effect of raising the water about 
half way up the long apron of the existing dam, which they would then 
have but little difficulty in ascending and reaching the waters above. 
The strongest proof of the thoroughly obstructive character of Mugie- ^q™^^^ 
moss dam in its present state is furnished by the fact that last year the Mugiemoss^ er 
river watchers took out from the pool below it 560 salmon that were Dam. 
unable to surmount it, placed them in boxes and carried them up to the 
water above the dam ; and, besides these, 400 fish were taken out, by 
landing nets with long handles, whilst falling back after attempting to 
ascend, and placed in the water above — thus making a total of 960 
salmon in a single year, prevented from ascending to the upper waters to 
spawn by this most objectionable dam. During the previous year 660 
salmon were, in like manner, taken from the pool below the dam and 
carried over it by the river watchers. 
The Superintendent complains not only of the obstructive character of 
the dam at Mugiemoss, but also of the excessive quantity of water 
abstracted from the river by the works at Mugiemoss, at the Messrs 
Piries, and at the Messrs Crombies, so that when the river is low the 
iutake lade contains a larger quantity of water than is left in the bed of 
the river, owing to which, in at least one case, the river-bed below the 
dam connected with the works is left almost ^perfectly dry. Another 
complaint connected with these works is that they inclose and entirely 
shut in large spaces of the banks of the river, from which the river- 
watchers are practically excluded. That is to say, they can only get 
access by applying at the doors of the works, so that if any poaching is 
going on inside, word may be passed along and everything made regular 
before the watchers enter. 
On the 9th of August I inspected the river Ugie, about which there River Ugie. 
is really very little to remark. It is well managed by the District 
Board — whose Report in answers to the printed queries will be found on 
pp. 23, 24, and with the exception of one or two dams which offer no great 
obstruction to the ascent of fish, but which might be improved by being 
made somewhat more water-tight than they are, there is nothing to com- 
plain of. 
The river has a narrow and shifting entrance, and fixed nets may be 
placed within 200 yards of the mouth on either side. But there were 
none so close when I inspected it. I noticed some places, not far from 
the entrance and within tidal influence, which seemed well adapted for 
laying down mussels. 
After leaving the Ugie, I inspected the South Esk, which, in some The South Esk. 
respects, has been greatly improved since I visited it in 1883. In par- 
ticular, a new pass, modelled on that on Morphie Dam on the North Esk, 
has been placed on the dam at Brechin Castle, formerly a most serious 
obstruction. Before putting in this pass the South Esk District Board 
went to see the Macdonald Fish ways on the Ericht and did not approve 
