46 
Appendices to Ninth Anmtal Report 
* I hold any sucli repeal,' he writes, ' would be valueless so long as far greater 
* evils are " l3linked." Old kelts, old fish generally, bull-trout {eriox\ large 
* river trout (fario), and pike, are far more destructive than the birds. But pike 
' and old fisli are my abhorrence. I would as soon think of preserving all the 
' blackcocks on a hill, and shooting down the hens and young, as I would dream 
' of doing, as is being done now, of preserving the old salmon to the loss and 
' destruction of our spring and summer fish in the prime of life. And I would 
* not permit bag-nets and engines to decimate and destroy our most valuable 
* breeding stock. These facts, I hold, must be met and not " blinked," whatever 
' difficulties have to be overcome between the " cross-purposings " of upper and 
' lower proprietors and bag-net fishermen.' 
Orkney— An-* It is a long leap from the Carron to the mainland of Orkney and the 
swersfromMr oreat lakes of Stenness and Harray, which, under favourable circum- 
Spence, Sten- j > j 
stances and with^adequate protection, oitght to furnish about the finest 
trout-fishing in Scotland."*^ Mr Spence has long been resident near them, 
and has paid special attention to the fishing, both for yellow and sea 
trout. The number of fish taken in 1890 was fewer than during the 
previous year, because there were fewer anglers fishing. But the average 
take per rod during the end of the season was a great improvement 
on the previous season. This may be attributed to the fact that no 
sweep-nets have been used in the Harray Loch for a few years past, 
especially since the sluices were erected at the Bridge of Brogar. Several 
baskets were made last year from 10 lbs. to 16 lbs.; whereas the previous 
season the heaviest would not exceed 8 lbs. A few sea-trout run after 
the middle of August, but not generally till the 1st September, and, as a 
rule, continue to run during the month. The heaviest yellow trout caught 
last year weighed 12 lbs. It was captured on a minnow. The bye 
laws are now fairly well observed, and the annual close time is satis- 
factory. 
Members of the constabulary force take an occasional look round the 
lochs, but illegal fishing is still prevalent. But since the recent prosecu- 
tion under the Salmon Fishery Acts it has greatly diminished. The 
offence prosecuted for, was setting stake-nets for trout under the pre- 
tence of taking cuithes. 
Mr Spence concludes his answers by the following statement of a diffi- 
culty that has occurred with regard to the Loch of Stenness owing to a 
recent decision in the Court of Session : — 
In reference to Loch Stenness, a considerable difficulty has arisen from the 
decision recently given by Lord Wellwood in the Court of Session. It is this : 
Cuithes and Flounders have been caught in considerable numbers annually in 
in this loch, the latter to about 1000 per month during the winter. Owing to 
his Lordship's decision, it is dangerous for fishermen to take these fish by 
ordinary means. Now if the white fish, or at least the superfluous stock, are 
not exterminateil in a few years, the loch will simply swarm with them, to the 
entire exclusion of trout, which we so much desii e to protect. 
Either the County Council or some other public body must draw up bye- 
laws regulating the white fishing ; and even then there is the probability 
of conflict between the operations of the bye-laws of such a body and the 
provisions of the Salmon Fisheries Acts. 
Reports from I have received thirty-two answers to the printed queries from hotel- 
hotelkeepers, keepers having salmon or trout fishings attached to tlieir hotels — that is 
or trout^fish-^^ ^^J' ^^^^ about half of the hotels in Scotland to which such fishings 
ings attached are attached. Ten of the answers give the number and weight of the 
to their 
hf>tel8. ♦ X full account of these magnificent lochs will he found in my Fifth Annual 
Report to the Fishery Board, pages 492-497. 
