John Smith
Born and raised in Balintore, John’s photographs are evidence of the importance of the sea to his life and to the Seaboard villages more widely. He works a creel boat out of Balintore with his friend David.
Click on the images below to enlarge
1. Salmon nets
The salmon fishing has been an important part of life here for a long time. This photo shows how the salmon bag nets look when hung on the docks. They take the same shape when in the water with a long leader net guiding the salmon into the bag. A ban on the fishery came into effect in 2016 although some are trying to keep the skills alive.
2. ‘The Sheddie’
‘The Sheddie’ is down by the harbour in Balintore. It’s a meeting place where the world is sorted. Some call it ‘the Parliament’.
3. Drying poles at Balintore harbour
These are the docks for hanging the salmon nets near the harbour in Balintore. Those poles should be full of nets hanging to dry but they haven’t been since the fishery was closed down. Tourists’ caravans park in this area now.
4. Hauling in the creels
This is us fishing for prawns. It’s difficult to take photographs while fishing because of the heavy gloves we wear so this is the only ‘action shot’. We put out about 120 creels for prawns and around 100 for lobsters and crabs.
6. The tar patch
All of the anchors, chains and buoys used for the salmon fishing were tarred here at this spot. As kids we would come home covered with tar and only butter or margarine would make it come off. Today the tar patch is almost fully grown over and the place has healed itself.
7. Tarrell bothy
Tarrell bothy is a salmon fishing station between Hilton and Rockfield on the way to Tarbat Ness. It was built by Davan Wood who was the father of David, who works on the boat with me. Salmon nets were last put out here around 2015.