Colin McPherson documents Scotland’s salmon net fishing heritage in new book.
A new photography book will document Scotland’s historic salmon net fishing tradition, capturing an industry that has largely disappeared from the country’s coastline.
Edinburgh-born photographer Colin McPherson has spent three decades photographing Scotland’s remaining salmon net fishermen, documenting traditional practices on beaches, estuaries and rivers including locations such as St Cyrus in Aberdeenshire and Strathy in Sutherland.
The project, titled Catching the Tide, records a centuries-old method of catching wild Atlantic salmon and sea trout using bag nets, sweep nets and traps. Salmon net fishing was once widespread across Scotland’s coastal communities, supported by 19th century legislation regulating where and when fishing could take place.
At its peak, the sector exported wild salmon to markets in England and overseas. However, a combination of economic pressures and environmental factors led to a steady decline from the 1980s onwards.
Over the course of the project, McPherson travelled extensively to document the remaining netting stations. Images from the series have been exhibited internationally and acquired by institutions including the University of St Andrews Library and the National Galleries of Scotland.
The forthcoming book, published by Dewi Lewis Publishing, will mark the thirtieth anniversary of the project. Catching the Tide – Salmon Net Fishing in Scotland will feature 100 black-and-white photographs alongside a short historical essay by Fiona Halliday. The book is scheduled for publication in June with a recommended retail price of £40.
More information about McPherson’s Catching the Tide project and details of the Kickstarter crowdfunder which is running to support the book’s publication can be found here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/catching-the-tide/catching-the-tide