of the Fishery Hoard for Scotland. 
21 
In their answers to the printed queries by the Spey District Board, 
it is stated that the fishings have diminished to a small extent in tidal 
waters, and to a great extent in fresh waters, and this latter diminution 
they attribute ' to low water and breaking of river into several streams of 
1 small dimensions by operations of Great North of Scotland Railway 
1 Company at their Viaduct across the Spey.' The weight of the heaviest 
salmon caught by net and coble in 1889 is said to be not known, but 
the heaviest caught by rod was 45 lbs. The system of watching is stated 
to be efficient. There are 42 constables and sergeants, with Inspector 
and Superintendent. There were four successful prosecutions for salmon 
poaching in 1889. 
In answer to the query regarding artificial obstructions, the reply is 
that there are no cruives on the Spey, but numerous dams on tributaries. 
The Bye-law respecting hecks, dam dykes and sluices, is said to be £ duly 
' observed.' 
I can quite corroborate what is stated above with regard to the damage 
done to the salmon fishings in the Spey by the operations in connection 
with the construction of the Viaduct of the Great North of Scotland Rail- 
way across the Spey ; as I carefully inspected that part of the river in the 
beginning of October last. The Viaduct has been so constructed as to 
convert what was formerly a compact, concentrated stream of water, up 
which salmon could always swim, into a number of scattered, shallow 
streams, which, when the river is low, do not afford a free passage to 
salmon. There ought to have been a series of arches across the whole 
bed of the river, and then there would have been in floods an equal 
distribution of gravel instead of a heavy accumulation at certain points. 
There should not have been, as there are now, 1300 feet of embankment 
and 950 feet of openings, unless the original intention of forcing the river 
to pass through the middle span of 350 feet, and maintaining it there, had 
been followed out. It seems generally admitted that the Spey, as a salmon 
river, between the Viaduct and the sea, has been materially injured by 
the operations of the railway. The deep channel on the right or eastern 
bank that I remember in 1870 and in 1883, in which was concentrated 
most of the water in the river, has been quite changed for the worse, and, 
instead of it, there are a multitude of shallow channels spread across the 
whole breadth of the river bed. There were five streams below the em- 
bankment when I examined the river ; and instead of the greatest body 
of water passing under the central arch of the Viaduct, as was stipulated 
and intended, the chief current was flowing through the side arches, which 
were meant only as a relief to the centre arch in times of flood. 
RIVER FINDHORN. 
The fishing throughout the district of the Findhorn is stated to have 
been an average one, but the number of fish is not given, ' as lessees are 
' unwilling to supply information of this nature.' The largest salmon 
caught by net and coble was 35 lbs.; the largest by fixed nets 50 lbs.; and 
the largest by rod 28 lbs. The Bye-laws are well observed, and the system 
of protection is efficient. One head constable and 2 permanent water 
bailiffs are employed by the Board ; and during the spawning season, 
about 20 watchers are employed and paid by the Board for about 6 
weeks. There has been no prosecution for many years, and illegal fishing 
is not prevalent. There has never been any salmon disease in the 
Findhorn. 
