Iasgach an Sgadain / Herring-Fishing

Informant(s)
Name
Donald MacLeod
Age
89
Location
Harris, Kyles Stockinish
1. Fish location by natural means
1.1. Listening
a’ cluichelistening for a herring or other fish’s breaking the surface, a much less distinct sound.
1.2. Losgadh / the burning
sgiolltar (Bays) (jelly fish)phosphorescence in the sea.
sgiolltairthe first sparks of ‘burning’ in early evening.
sgadan a losgadhindividual herring seen in the ‘burning’; a thin shoal seen in the burning; a large shoal seen in the burning.
1.3. Herring-feeding
1.4. The gannet / emhsan
a’ bualadhthe high vertical plummet of gannet working on herring.
bualadh air “sheef”the skimming dive of a gannet, perhaps on mackerel or fry on the surface.
1.5. Miscellaneous
“smelt”fiadh air a mhuir a deidh do sgadan a bhi ann.
2. The ring-net
2.1. Its construction
2.2. Setting up and mending a ring-net
2.3. The buoy
bollachan
“wager”the plug of buoy, short for watcher.
springthe string by which buoy is attached to back-rope.
3. Fishing
a’ cur ’s a tarruingthe shooting [and towing of the net].
brailer[?] hauling net.
brèilearhauling net.
[note][NOTES: it is not clear if the last two words are variants. The second seems to be a later addition (different ink) and may be a clarification of the first, which is illegible.]

© DASG
^ Return To Top ^