Report on Salmon Fisheries. 
' was got, and as a whole the sport was disappointing. The 
* Directors, however, are quite satisfied that this result is attribut- 
' able to atmospheric or other natural causes adverse to angling, 
' and not to any diminution in the number of trout in the loch.' 
The Table on page xiv shows the number and weight of trout 
killed in each month during the last six years. 
' Vigorous means have been continued for keeping down the 
* pike, and during the year 614 have been killed. 
' The hatching operations during last winter were again success- 
' fully carried on, and nearly 300,000 fry were deposited in early 
' spring in the feeders of the loch. 
' During the early part of this and last season the Directors 
* netted and marked with distinctive marks a considerable number 
* of young trout with a view to obtaining reliable information as to 
* their annual growth and change of locality, but as only two or 
' three of those marked have yet been captured, no opinion can be 
' formed on the points in question. 
' The whole plant has been kept in good order, but it has not 
* been found necessary to build any new^ boats within the year. 
' There are, however, four new boats in course of being built, which 
' will appear in next year's accounts.' 
The above is the smallest return of trout in number and weight 
from Loch Leven since 1882, when only 8963 trout, weighing 
8888 lbs. were captured. 
The Loch Awe Fisheries Improvement Association has, for Loch Awe 
several years past, done good and useful work in killing down the p^ovement"^ 
pike in Loch Awe, and in stocking it with Loch Leven trout. Mr Association. 
G. W. Hartley, the energetic Secretary, has had a hard battle to 
fight, and has fought it manfully, to keep down the enemies of 
the trout, and to counteract the effects of over-fishing from the 
half-dozen hotels on the shores of Loch Awe. He has now, how- 
ever, resigned, leaving a balance at credit of the Association's 
account current with the Commercial Bank of Scotland of £86, 
18s., and his place is taken by Dr M'NicoU of Dalmally. 
1600 pike have been killed in Loch Awe by the Association 
during the last five years, and the size of those now got is very 
much less than during the past two years. About 150,000 Loch 
Leven fry and ova have been put into the burns during the last three 
years. We extract the following from Mr Hartley's last Report : — 
' If the seasons are suitable the fishing in Loch Awe ought, for the 
* next few years, to be better than it has been in the past. But the 
* good water is limited, and I believe myself is — during, at any rate, 
* the earlier part of the year — greatly over-fished. If nothing is done 
* to counteract this over-fishing, and the pike are allowed to get ahead 
' again, and the big old spawner on her way up some burn falls a 
' prey to mischievous lads before she has deposited her thousands 
* of children there — if these evil things happen I venture to pre- 
' diet that a time will come when those who are interested in the 
' fishing will regret this Association, and will be sorry that thev 
* did not give it a little more support when it was alive.' 
The Fifbh Annual Report of the Esk (Midlothian) Angling Esk (Mid- 
Association is gratifying and satisfactory. Their fishings extend AngHng 
over three miles of the Esk, from Musselburgh inland to the Duke Association's 
Report. 
