Flounder tramping is a traditional method of catching
flounder
Flounders are a group of flatfish species. They are demersal fish, found at the bottom of oceans around the world; some species will also enter estuary, estuaries.
Taxonomy
The name "flounder" is used for several only distantly related speci ...
or other
flat fish
Flat or flats may refer to:
Architecture
* Apartment, known as a flat in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and other Commonwealth countries
Arts and entertainment
* Flat (music), a symbol () which denotes a lower pitch
* Flat (soldier), a two-dimens ...
by wading in shallow water and standing on them.
This method of fishing was used in the coastal waters and river
estuaries
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...
of South West
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
, particularly at
Palnackie
Palnackie is a village in the parish of Buittle in the historical county of Kirkcudbrightshire in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It has a population of approximately 250 and is a working port on the Urr Water
Urr Water or River Urr (''Archais ...
on the Solway, for centuries. Once trapped the fish were often secured by impaling them on a
leister
A leister is a type of spear used for spearfishing.
Leisters are three-pronged with backward-facing barbs, historically often built using materials such as bone and ivory, with tools such as the saw-knife. In many cases it could be disassembled ...
before being bagged. A leister is the local name for a
trident
A trident (), () is a three- pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm. As compared to an ordinary spear, the three tines increase the chance that a fish will be struck and decrease the chance that a fish will b ...
or three pronged long handled spear. Although traditional, the use of leisters to aid capture is no longer permitted (presumably for safety reasons).
A similar technique is still used in Cumbria, particularly in the Duddon Estuary and Morecambe Bay, where it is called treading. Treaders wade along channels at low water until they tread on a flounder; the fisher will then lift the fish by inserting a finger into the gill opening of the fish.
Flounder tramping championships
On the first Saturday each August, at Palnackie, on the
Urr Water
Urr Water or River Urr (''Archaism, arc. River Orr'') is a river which flows through the counties of Dumfriesshire and Kirkcudbrightshire in southwest Scotland.
Course
Entirely within Dumfries and Galloway, the Urr Water originates at Loch Urr an ...
, hosts the World Flounder Tramping Championships. Several hundred competitors walk out onto the mud flats of the Urr Water estuary, south of the village, at low tide. They feel for flounder hiding beneath the mud with their toes, and trap the fish beneath their feet. The competition is held to raise funds for the
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest of the lifeboat (rescue), lifeboat services operating around the coasts of the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on s ...
.
In July 2010 Dumfries and Galloway Council announced its intention to ban the flounder tramping championships on "Health and Safety" grounds.
See also
*
Flounder gigging
References
* BBC
Coast: Arran to Gretna(scroll down)
{{fisheries and fishing
Fishing techniques and methods