of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 
35 
Name of Stream. 
Fiddich, 
Avon, . 
Livet, . 
Conglass, 
Lochy, . 
Dulnain, 
Nethy, . 
Druie, . 
Feshie, . 
Tromie, 
Truim, 
Spey (above Laggan, Badenoch), 
1888-89. 
„ . ^ , Number of Beds 
Spawning Commenced. Season. 
8th October, 1888 1045 
24th September, 1888 1338 
11th October, 1888 679 
13th October, 1888 358 
20th October, 1888 164 
10th October, 1888 651 
22nd October, 1888 286 
17th October, 1888 336 
15th October, 1888 447 
11th October, 1888 125 
10th October, 1888 118 
9th October, 1888 90 
Total, 5637 Spawning Beds 
Name of Stream. 
Fiddich, 
Avon, . 
Livet, . 
Conglass, 
Lochy, . 
Dulnain, 
Nethy, . 
Druie, . 
Feshie, 
Tromie, 
Truim, 
Spey (above 
1889-90. 
Spawning Commenced, 
1st October, 1889 
10th October, 1889 
3rd October, 1889 
10th October, 1889 
9th October, 1889 
10th October, 1889 
17th October, 1889 
14th October, 1889 
16th October, 1889 
14th October, 1889 
1st October, 1889 
Laggan, Badenoch), 11th October, 1889 
Total, 
Decrease in Spawning Beds from last year's number. 
Do. Do. on the previous season 
of 1887-88, 
Number of Beds 
for Season. 
545 
484 
269 
92 
49 
597 
175 
166 
193 
152 
108 
102 
2932 Spawning Beds. 
2705 
917 
The splendid and extensive spawning during the season of 1888-89, com- 
pared with the season of 1889-90, gives the latter a very poor appearance. 
The spawning season of 1887-88 was considered to be above an average of 
previous year's spawning, consequently the last ended (1889-90) season would 
compare favourably with some of the seasons previous to 1887-88. 
The deficiency in last season's spawning is entirely to be accounted for in 
the great decrease in grilses, which should have spawned on the tributaries 
during the last two weeks of October and month of November. Grilses were 
certainly not seen to be so scarce for many years back as they were during last 
season. 
Reasons for the deficiency in this class of fish give any amount of scope for 
conjecture. In the first place, comparing with previous years, they were scarce, 
or at least few were caught along the sea coast salmon fishings over the Spey 
district during the summer of 1889, and only a very small number were seen 
by rod fishers up till 15th October of same season. On the other hand, there 
was a good appearance of smolts descending the tributaries and river to the 
sea during the spring and summer of 1889. The question then 'jomes to be, 
Where did our Spey district grilses go to during the said summer and autumn ? 
It is evident that they left our part of the sea coast, and did not get their way 
back to ascend the river to spawn during that season, and by every appearance 
the grilses of this (1890) season have been, up till 26th August, very scarce 
along the sea coast, notwithstanding that the appearance of descending smolts 
during the past spring and summer was good. 
