Salmon Fishing - "Putchers" (General)

by m p griffiths , Thursday, December 09, 2010, 20:40 (5102 days ago) @ mrsbruso

Without dragging it out too much..... also from Portrait of Gloucestershire....

There were withy beds (young shoots of the willows) at Broad Oak, which lies adjacent to Elton - and baskets were made there - along with hampers called 'pots' to transport fruit. The fruit in the hampers were then covered with paper and hay or bracken and strung down before being taking to Newnham or whichever was the nearest railway-station. The fruit growers had to supply their own 'pots', hence the local demand for their making'...............................

Another way of catching the salmon, for which the Severn has long been famous, is by nets - long nets. This used to be done at Broad Oak........ One end of the net was held on the bank and then the rest of the net was taken in a boat out into the river, being paid out as the boat moved, until it was fully extended. It would then curve with the stream. After a while, it would be drawn in, containing with luck, one or more salmon. The mesh of the net was large enough to let most other fish through, although, at times, some did became entangled in the netting.