of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 
25 
diminished, owing to over-iishing, chiefly by the drift or whammel-nets at 
present in use in the Solway. In fresh waters it has likewise fallen off 
in 1889, owing to the dryness of the season, which prevented the fish 
from ascending to the upper waters. No information is given with 
regard to the number of fish caught in the Annan District, but it is 
stated that the heaviest salmon taken by net and coble was 36 lbs. ; by 
fixed nets 36 lbs ; and by rod 30 lbs. 
The annual and weekly close times are said to be, on the whole, well 
observed, but 'some difficulty in observing weekly close time by fixed 
' engines. This might be obviated by fixing the weekly close time for 
' fixed engines as the three consecutive ebbings and Sowings of the tide 
1 after 6 p.m. on each Saturday.' 
The system of protection is stated to be 'good, but not sufficient. 
' There are too few watchers, viz., 4 men appointed under section 7 of 
* Police Act of 1857 (one of them acts as boatman), and an assistant is 
' employed for three months from the end of the close time for net- 
' fishing.' Illegal fishing has much decreased. There were thirteen 
cases, including twenty-two persons, in which convictions were got in 
1889. 
On the River Annan there are 6 dams ; on its tributaries — the Milk, 
Dryfe, Kinnell, and Ae — there are 9 ; and on the Kirtle water, in the 
Annan district, there are 3. It is stated that ' none of them are 
' worked in strict accordance with Schedules F. & G., and some of them 
' have no passes or ladders.' It is farther mentioned that ' on a few of 
' the dams there are fish-passes enabling fish to ascend except when the 
1 water is low. In several of them there are no fish-passes, and one or 
' two are very high, so that it is only when the river is in flood that fish 
1 get over.' 
The salmon disease was first noticed in the Annan in 1876-7. It 
attacked both kelts and clean fish; it has somewhat decreased. More 
distinct powers should be given to remove diseased fish from the river than 
are to be found in the Acts of 1862 and 1868. 
There is a hatchery in the Annan District at Craigielands near Moffat, 
belonging to James Smith, Esq., of Craigielands House. It is situated in 
a small burn running from a hill behind the House, and emptying into a 
pond at the house. A burn connects the pond with the river Annan, 
which is about a mile off. 30,000 trout can be hatched annually in 
this hatchery. 
SUTHERLANDSHIRE RIVERS. 
On the rivers Helmsdale, Brora, and Fleet the take of salmon is said to 
have diminished, owing to the exceptionally dry season of 1889. 1626 
salmon; 1234 grilse; and 246 trout are stated to have been caught by 
nets ; and about 800 by rods. A salmon of 42 lbs. was netted in the 
Brora District ; and one of 30 lbs. was taken by rod in the Helmsdale. 
The watchers are employed and paid by the Duke of Sutherland. 
There are no obstructions, natural or artificial, in these rivers, except on 
the Carnack, a small tributary of the Fleet, on which there is a very 
ingenious salmon-ladder, over, or rather round, a fall 40 feet in height. 
No salmon disease is mentioned, but the watchers have instructions 
to remove from the rivers and destroy immediately all diseased fish. 
There is a small hatchery near Loch Brora, belonging to the Duke of 
Sutherland. From 80,000 to 100,000 fish were hatched out in it 
last year. 
In the Tongue District, in the north of Sutherland, the take of salmon 
has decreased, owing to three consecutive dry seasons. Last year there 
