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Home » Agriculture and Food Production » Fishing » Salmon fishing

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  • In June 1933, John Lovell, a fisherman from Mountain Street, Caernarfon, and his crew of three, caught a record catch of salmon in the Menai Straits. They were fishing with a net in the early morning in the vicinity of the public baths when they had a haul of 41 salmon, weighing about 700 pounds. Owing to the low water in the river Seiont, salmon had been plentiful in the Menai Straits and John Lovell and his crew had already had a total catch of over 100 salmon, weighing nearly 1,500 pounds, during that season. It is thought that the previous record catch was made over forty years previously, when a boat known locally as 'Cwch Salvation' had a haul of between 500-600 pounds.
Fishermen displaying a record catch of salmon caught by John Lovell, Caernarfon, June 1933
  • Fishing for salmon in a rocky section of the River Wye near Builth Wells in the early 1900s.
Salmon fishing on the River Wye, 1900s
  • A studio portrait of four proud fishermen with a very large salmon caught in the River Usk at Brecon on 20 October 1917, presumably as a result of good teamwork. The man on the left had to stand on two large books to keep the fish off the floor for the photograph.
Trophy salmon from the River Usk, 1917
  • The nets known as 'putchers' would be hung in their hundreds on racks which extended into the river Wye. The racks would disappear underwater at high tide, catching any salmon which swam towards them. At low tide, the fishermen would go to inspect the racks and empty them. Three racks are still used on the river Wye, but nowadays they hold nets made of metal and plastic. The 'lave' nets, (at the top of the picture) were used by fishermen in the lower reaches of the rivers Wye, Usk and Severn. The fishermen would stand in the water and wait for signs of the salmon. Then they would run towards the spot, placing the net in the water in front of the fish. The net had to be raised and the handle twisted to catch the fish.
Cone-shaped nets ('putchers') and 'lave' net, used in the River Wye [image 1 of 2]
Mock auction of sewin outside the Teifi Inn, St Dogmaels, c. 1900s
  • Thomas Martyn and his family pass a salmon fishery and also see much burning of charcoal.
A Tour to South Wales, 1801, page 42