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With Net and Coble: A Salmon Fisher on the Cromarty Firth
An ancient and environmentally friendly method of catching salmon, by spotting them in the water and taking them with ‘net and coble’, unique to the Cromarty Firth, was recently banned by the Scottish government. The men who knew this way of fishing are no longer young, and there is every risk of their centuries-old techniques dying with them.
So it is fortunate that a practitioner of the craft for over fifty years has drawn on his knowledge and experience to paint a rich picture of this fishing, the firthland itself, and the history of salmon netting. He describes great fishing days, the life of the fishing bothy, and the characters who inhabited it. He takes the reader through the fish’s life cycle and discusses declining catches and the threats to the wild salmon’s future. His and his fellow netsmen’s respect for this legendary fish and their love of the firth and its wildlife shine through.
With maps, many photographs, and a helpful glossary, the story is enhanced by recipes, anecdote, character sketches, and five poems on fishing, the work of a variety of hands.
While anglers and conservationists will be drawn to this unique account, there is much to interest the general reader, who will discover a vanished world, grand Highland characters, and the delights of fishing in a beautiful setting.
So it is fortunate that a practitioner of the craft for over fifty years has drawn on his knowledge and experience to paint a rich picture of this fishing, the firthland itself, and the history of salmon netting. He describes great fishing days, the life of the fishing bothy, and the characters who inhabited it. He takes the reader through the fish’s life cycle and discusses declining catches and the threats to the wild salmon’s future. His and his fellow netsmen’s respect for this legendary fish and their love of the firth and its wildlife shine through.
With maps, many photographs, and a helpful glossary, the story is enhanced by recipes, anecdote, character sketches, and five poems on fishing, the work of a variety of hands.
While anglers and conservationists will be drawn to this unique account, there is much to interest the general reader, who will discover a vanished world, grand Highland characters, and the delights of fishing in a beautiful setting.
208 pages, Hardcover
Published September 1, 2021
1 person want to read
About the author
George Chamier
11 books1 followerGeorge Chamier was partly brought up in Ross-shire and educated at Eton and the universities of Cambridge and Lancaster. After seven years as an advertising executive in London and Amsterdam, he became a full-time fisherman in the Highlands for twelve years, having first learned the art of net and coble fishing for salmon as a schoolboy. George retired as Head of History at Bradfield College in 2005 and now lives in London, working as a tutor and editor. Until 2018 he spent at least a month every summer fishing on the Cromarty Firth. His previously published works include When it Happened in Britain and When it Happened in Scotland (both Constable), The First Light, a history of Innerpeffray, Scotland’s oldest lending library, and Britain’s Greatest Prime Ministers (Endeavour Press). ‘Cold Iron’, an article about the fishing, appeared in Archipelago magazine.
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October 30, 2021With Net and Coble A Salmon Fisher on the Cromarty Firth by George Chamie
Love the poems throughout, the pictures and legends, superstitions and history and maps and so much more.
Scotland: This is a book about how the old timers would fish for salmon. What a skill to have to get the fish. Everything is well explained about how to do it.
Even one by themselves could do the job but it's very hard, harsh conditions and so much could go wrong and you'd lose it all.
Love the memories of 1960's and songs about ...flowers in your hair... I so recall those tunes also.
Love hearing of the cairns and other methods of fishing were done since centuries when it first started. The spear fishers I recall doing that on the shores here in NorthEast when it was almost winter the fish would beach themselves on the shore. Easy to spear.
There are so many mentioned that are now gone. Also story behind why the salmon are no longer caught this way.
Follows the author from a young age and all through his life and where he was at different times of his years and he does go back to the old way of fishing for salmon.
We had one species of salmon from the southern highlands of Scotland and it was the best we have ever had, Wester Ross salmon. That was one reason why I wanted to read this book.
Other is I love to hear about how others use their hands to make a living, whether it be fishing, gardening or sewing or working with metals.
Now the environmental agencies own the area. Love hearing exactly where they would locate the best fish and knew which ones to stay away from.
Tragic times also, with monofilament lines, with waders a few went under and couldn't get back to the top of the water.
Like hearing of the downtime when there's nothing to watch for so you take a nap on the beach and get to talk to your fellow fisher people to really get to know them.
So fun to listen about parties and cooking on the beach with fish and there are even recipes included in this story.
We have recreated a clam boi here in town at a relatives house where they dug a big hole in the ground and layered the clams and other foods with hay and seaweed and hours later it was done.
It was heavenly and so fresh tasting. The smelters went into production and author moved away...
So many problems arose over time and the author goes into detail about the problems and why they played a part in shutting down some of the industry.
Air over water is different than air over land. Reasons why author doesn't like farming salmon, in water using cages.
Birds and raptors of the area are discussed.
Reflections chapter ends the book along with a poem, The Last Fishers. Love how a fisher can be woman or man. Glossary is included at the end
and many acknowledgements. Such an awesome read. So many more pictures and what fascinates me is everybody is always smiling, they enjoy what they were doing.
I received this review copy from Pen & Sword, Pen & Sword History via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
#WithNetandCoble #NetGalley
Love the poems throughout, the pictures and legends, superstitions and history and maps and so much more.
Scotland: This is a book about how the old timers would fish for salmon. What a skill to have to get the fish. Everything is well explained about how to do it.
Even one by themselves could do the job but it's very hard, harsh conditions and so much could go wrong and you'd lose it all.
Love the memories of 1960's and songs about ...flowers in your hair... I so recall those tunes also.
Love hearing of the cairns and other methods of fishing were done since centuries when it first started. The spear fishers I recall doing that on the shores here in NorthEast when it was almost winter the fish would beach themselves on the shore. Easy to spear.
There are so many mentioned that are now gone. Also story behind why the salmon are no longer caught this way.
Follows the author from a young age and all through his life and where he was at different times of his years and he does go back to the old way of fishing for salmon.
We had one species of salmon from the southern highlands of Scotland and it was the best we have ever had, Wester Ross salmon. That was one reason why I wanted to read this book.
Other is I love to hear about how others use their hands to make a living, whether it be fishing, gardening or sewing or working with metals.
Now the environmental agencies own the area. Love hearing exactly where they would locate the best fish and knew which ones to stay away from.
Tragic times also, with monofilament lines, with waders a few went under and couldn't get back to the top of the water.
Like hearing of the downtime when there's nothing to watch for so you take a nap on the beach and get to talk to your fellow fisher people to really get to know them.
So fun to listen about parties and cooking on the beach with fish and there are even recipes included in this story.
We have recreated a clam boi here in town at a relatives house where they dug a big hole in the ground and layered the clams and other foods with hay and seaweed and hours later it was done.
It was heavenly and so fresh tasting. The smelters went into production and author moved away...
So many problems arose over time and the author goes into detail about the problems and why they played a part in shutting down some of the industry.
Air over water is different than air over land. Reasons why author doesn't like farming salmon, in water using cages.
Birds and raptors of the area are discussed.
Reflections chapter ends the book along with a poem, The Last Fishers. Love how a fisher can be woman or man. Glossary is included at the end
and many acknowledgements. Such an awesome read. So many more pictures and what fascinates me is everybody is always smiling, they enjoy what they were doing.
I received this review copy from Pen & Sword, Pen & Sword History via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
#WithNetandCoble #NetGalley
January 3, 2022
With Net and Coble is a beautifully written retrospective of an archaic, dying (and now illegal) skill.
The author takes us on a journey through the waterways of Scotland, following the salmon along both beach and river, discussing the techniques of sweep netting: where they follow the fish and manually walk the net around to catch them. He takes great pains to emphasise the highly limited number of fish caught this way, comparing it to the great drift-netting commercial operations, and the environmental impacts of them both.
Filled with history, lore and legends, as well as a strong environmental message, this was a fascinting read. (Although not knowing the regions discussed did make it difficult to connect a little.)
~Many thanks to Netgally for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~
The author takes us on a journey through the waterways of Scotland, following the salmon along both beach and river, discussing the techniques of sweep netting: where they follow the fish and manually walk the net around to catch them. He takes great pains to emphasise the highly limited number of fish caught this way, comparing it to the great drift-netting commercial operations, and the environmental impacts of them both.
Filled with history, lore and legends, as well as a strong environmental message, this was a fascinting read. (Although not knowing the regions discussed did make it difficult to connect a little.)
~Many thanks to Netgally for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews