of the Fishery Hoard for Scotland. 
1 I 
There is a beautiful stream running for 7 miles through Glen Finglas, Falls in Glen 
an ancient deer forest of the Scottish kings, which joins the Dubh Abhain Finglas. 
at Bridge of Turk, a quarter of a mile below the foot of Loch Achray. 
In its upper part it is a steep' and rapid torrent, but in the middle portions 
there is a considerable extent of beautiful gravelly spawning ground. But, 
unfortunately, below this the stream plunges into a deep, rocky, pictur- 
esque gorge where there are several rapids and waterfalls which at present 
forbid the ascent of salmon. The attention of Mr Buckland and myself 
was directed to these many years ago, and our opinion then was that it 
was better to leave matters alone, as it would cost too much to open up the 
spawning ground ; and a careful examination, in the course of last summer, 
convinces me that our opinion was correct. There are several falls in the 
lower course of the stream. One of these is about a mile above the Bridge 
of Turk, and is not less than 9 feet in height; but on the right bank there 
is a sort of natural salmon ladder, with a resting pool in the centre, which 
without much expense might be widened, deepened, and made more easy 
in gradient, so as to allow salmon to ascend. Above this is another fall, 
almost, if not quite, insurmountable, as on the very crest of the fall there 
is a projecting rocky ledge, against which fish attempting to ascend would 
be certain to knock their heads and fall back into the pool below. This 
ledge would require to be blasted away, in the event of any attempt ever 
being made to enable fish to ascend to the spawning grounds above. 
Besides these, there are several smaller falls in the gorge. But they 
would scarcely stop salmon. Below all these falls there are beautiful, 
deep, rocky pools, forming fine lies for fish. 
There can be no doubt that the number of salmon, grilse, and sea-trout Salmon 
annually brought to the market would be immensely increased if the prin- Ladders on 
cipal natural obstructions, in the shape of waterfalls, which at present ^ & River" 
prevent the ascent of salmon to hundreds of miles of rivers and thousands County Sli'go, 
of acres of lochs, were made passable ; and upon this subject the Fishery Ireland. 
Board, in their ninth and last Report on the Scotch Salmon Fisheries, have 
expressed a very decided opinion, after having uniformly and consistently 
advocated such a change in the existing laws as would enable natural 
obstructions to be made passable, even in the case where the proprietors 
of the obstruction refused their consent — due compensation, of course, 
being made to such proprietors for any injury to fishing or amenity which 
they might sustain. 
In their ninth Report they write as follows, on page 10: — 'There are 
* three chief causes that have operated to prevent the opening up of the 
* obstructions which at present bar about 500 miles of rivers and lochs 
' against the ascent of salmon. These are (1) the natural unwillingness 
' of the proprietors of such falls to allow them to be interfered with, 
' sometimes because there is a productive pool immediately below the 
' falls, which they fear might be spoiled ; sometimes from consideration of 
' amenity — such proprietors possessing at present an absolute veto, there 
' being no means provided by which arrangements can be made for 
' opening up the falls, and compensating the proprietors in the case of 
' their refusing their consent ; (2) the claim of the Crown to all the new 
* Salmon Fisheries that may be created by the opening up of natural 
' obstructions by the riparian owners ; and (3) the claim put forward in 
' certain cases by a proprietor below 7 a fall — founding upon a charter 
' granting him the Salmon Fishings throughout a whole district of 
' country — to the Salmon Fishings above the fall in the event of its 
S. F. c 
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