The Tale of The Persistent Poacher
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- Опубликовано: 7 янв 2020
- [Please excuse the quality, shot on Betacam, only a VHS copy remains]
First broadcast commissioned documentary. Made with Andy Mcleod on and near the banks of the River Tweed. I grew up in Berwick on Tweed, I knew many people who were salmon poachers, a story close to my heart. This story of Keith, who became well known in the area, was sparked by hearing about a hefty tax bill raised by the HMRC, based on an estimate of his illegal earnings, from salmon poaching. Many great elements contributed to this film, Andy McLeod’s photography, the great script, wonderful sounding Scottish Borders voice of Alistair McNeill, the music of Old Blind Dogs and of course Keith’s contribution of story telling and allowing us into his world. Thanks to all mentioned below for you contributions.
A film by - Gavin Turnbull and Andy Mcleod
Producer - Gavin Turnbull
Photography - Andy McLeod
Editor - Melanie ‘Mel’ Hamilton
Online Editor - Bill Gill
Sound - Guy Satchwell
Production Manager - Colin Fraser
Camera Assistant - Sam Pilling
Underwater Photography - Andy Hibbert
Narration - Alistair McNeill
Music by - Old Blind Dogs
Camera Facilities - Hammerhead T.V.
Online Facilities - IVP TV
Nitecam Supplied By - Optex LTD
Offline Facilities - EVTC & Extra Vegetables
Old Blind Dogs - Close to the Bone
open.spotify.com/album/35t3RU...
Theme track - Seonaidh Mor / The Fall / Dick Gossops
Thanks to -
Chris Orvis
Dave Smith
Mike Ellen
Fiona Neill
Duncan Moore
Paul Gavin
Cindy Thomson
Brian Cairney
Duncan Campbell
John Home-Robertson
Kenny Jack
Catherine Aitken
Biddy Joyce
Special Thanks to -
Keith and George
Funded by -
Scottish Film Council
Copyright © 1993
Hot-Fish Productions
Scottish Television 
Видеоклипы
I am 82 never had my collar felt for eating what I caught fish animals, I only ever took what I could eat never sold any. today Gamekeepers miss most things. going around on quads, I walked or went by horseback you see so much more. the sound of a quad tells us all where you are. Yes, I have been behind a tree when you have zoomed past, and the birds tell us the rest.
I can imagine you'd have some fascinating stories to tell.
Legend Birdy, same as that, long may you live.
Clever lad
You should write a book on your adventures to pass down the knowledge skills and tricks you learnt along the way.
I would definitely buy a copy
Good on ya mate!
the man said what was right i was born and fished as a young lad in ireland................then the clubs move in and take over the range rovers and rich kids...................this man called it right
still plenty of fish for the poor mate my channel will account for that
@@whitetroutchannel Ahhh Now Ted !!!!! 800 fish a week is not a fish for the poor man
No he didn’t!
no he didnt what ....come clean in your statement @@robsmith8024
Ave been looking for this video for so long. This is my grandad Keith hall and my dad George windram 👍🏻👍🏻
Poaching hoor
Is Keith still alive can I ask?
@@andrewwilks9149 Probably not if he's the one smoking like a chimney.
When men were men
@@kid--presentableand women were greatful
Mans has to sell 30 fish a day just to feed his nicotine habit
Going to 84 now, just thought I would like to tell you the blackbird was a poachers best friend would always let you know when someone was approaching by the shrill alarm call. and if you keep your eyes on the sky you will suddenly see a bird turn at right angles and flap away as it has spotted someone below. yes all birds and animals would tip us off. Lol...
What's 84?
Fieldcraft. A lost art these days.
Trouble is with that old blackbird he doesn't know the difference between keeper or poacher.
I remember poaching years ago. Always for the table. Rabbit hare. Pheasant. The good one days
Did you do it as a young lad?
@@tiernanwearen8096 was when I was in my late teens
@@pemj7360 same years ago
@@tiernanwearen8096 the good old days 😆🤣
@@pemj7360 I gave it up before I ever got caught
As a wee laddie, 12yrs old, I went out on the tweed with some salmon guys at night time. They slept in a hut that was elevated up in the air on stilts, about 6 of us. There was a system of mirrors linked to an alarm in the hut and when the fish went upstream and passed a mirror/sensor, it sounded the alarm in the hut. We then, quick style, decended the ladder and into one of the corbles (wee boat) and rowed out to where the net was, pulling all the salmon aboard. Great days I tell you. I didn't realise how lucky I was to be able to experience that. Brilliant upload........ I've a funny tale about poaching the mighty salmon that I may post here one day.
I'm not a wealthy toff. I am a retired police constable who enjoys, and pays for a few days salmon fishing a year. I have fished Boleside and Bymerside on the Tweed and the depletion of salmon stocks over the years is noticeable. This is not a romantic poacher. This is a criminal.
Well said, taking fish for gain is not like taking the odd one for the pot. Serial poachers are bad for salmon conservation. I fish the Tees in NE England and the Environment agency has put a ban on taking any salmon. I caught a 20lb hen fish last season and was pleased to return it.
The man used to fish from his boat his father as well but they put a stop to that the greedy land owner and his paid heavys are the real crooks look at the poacher then look at the land owner witch one looks rich to you the poacher can only take what he can carry and that includes his gear the people of Galashiels know whos greedy and it's not the poacher
@@tech9auto223Have you been reading Robin Hood coz this ain’t him
@@robsmith8024 he's neither robin hood nor a villain I've met the man he's as much right to use the river and it's resources as the wealthy land owner probably even more if you ask me or is the river only for the likes of Chris tarrant and Ian Botham and local Scots men lived here generations not to go near it if we can't use the river rightfully then we'll take what we can when we can
@@tech9auto223 Wild salmonids in decline, I’m sure this poacher practices self restraint and puts some back, I’m equally sure he is a conservationist and I’m certain he’s not a greedy bastard who would empty a pool without conscience.
No man owns the fish or the sea, take what you need for consumption only. Profit or greed may be unacceptable, as with so called laws and boundaries that dictate otherwise. We all have the right to take a fish once in a while, and long may it continue so.
I agree in any case there's little room for men like him in this politically correct world who have spent their whole lives hunting and fishing the animals the people who have never been to the countryside now want to protect
That's true! They bring these so called laws in, they've never asked us what we want, so much for democracy haha!
I once poached eggs from a chicken.
I bumped into that chicken few months back, she was right pissed off. Said you a real naughty boy😂
@@robsmith8024 well if she's as soft as the eggs I poached I should be able to take her out with a simple karate chop straight to the temple🤣
In the US the public has access to the vast majority of rivers and waterways. That includes the shoreline up to the high water mark.
Iv grown up with kieth hall he was my dad's pal and I v poached the tweed myself for thirty years and love it
his famous letter nailed to the door at floors
i thought he was a vicar before the camera zoomed in on his scarf
I miss going poaching, at one time I was out most days,great stuff😎🙈🙉🙊
Great times as a lad. Roosting low birds on a windy night👌👌
Get back out.. plenty of us are still at it, can£/ just give up and comply with ridiculous laws and restrictions. That's how they win..
@@MDM1992 No you give up because salmon and sea trout stocks are in rapid decline, well that’s right thing to do but when did a poacher ever do the right thing
He's got a hell of an alcohol tan.
He doesn’t drink
Nah
Poaching comes from within.youve I've a got it or you haven't.many try but very few know the ways of nature .birds song.the seasons.getting in and out without beening seen.. beening patient and silent.working nets and wire..lurcher and ferret..cushti bok
No true poacher would admit it especially for all to see his face.
If he does poach then hes knackered himself now
You’re obviously not local then- he’s one of the best and well known poachers on the tweed going back the last 30-40 yrs
@@jaktlad77 true poachers dont get known pal.
Definitely dont look for recognition
@@leecoomber3877 ever hear of the book the last english poachers?
@@tiernanwearen8096 yes my mate has it, they like there greyhounds.
I believe you've asked me that before my friend
@@leecoomber3877 so are they not true poachers?
A poacher like this is only able to take numbers of fish because other people don’t.
He’s benefiting from the restraint of others.
If everyone took his attitude, there would be no damned fish left.
Taking fish by rod and reel with a single hook , and netting rivers and long lining is two very different things. No justification for his behaviour .
Good on him telling it as it is..
A true smoker!
The guy clearly tells how it is, seems to me he has more rights to be there than anyone.
If you don’t have a poacher you’re not a successful landowner
This shows very clear why poaching should be stamped out, the angler fish with fly and catch very few compared with a poachers net, if there are enough man like this the salmon would be destroyed. He is not entitled to anything, is he entitled to have the cattle from the fields ? Or the food in the shops? He should work and pay for his sport with a rod if he wishes like the rest of us. Not all fly fisherman are rich I used to go one a year and save to do it.
Apart from being Heroin capital of North Northumberland?
Fact !!!!!!!
These big landowners stole from the people, I remember when the laws started to change in the 60s and 70s because, these big landowners were destroying the rivers, all they were interested in was the money that they could get from wealthy people, they did not bother to find out how the rivers work, and with in 100 years, they had destroyed the Salmon and sea trout stocks, by walking on the salmon spawning grounds, closing of side ditches where sea trout spawned, bringing in rainbow trout breeding pens, fish farms, and they blamed the netters and other fishing people down on the tidal parts of the rivers, where people had the rights to fish, they banned the netters who had been fishing the upper tidal parts of rivers fore 1000s of years, were the salmon and sea trout pass though, they then put licences on rod and line fresh water at first and then tidal, then they restricted snatching fish, they lobbied government because they could, they had the money to get all these new laws and rules, and still they blamed others for their doing, now we have no netters no salmon poachers and yet the fish stocks are nearly all gone
Honestly I think salmon farms should take much of the blame,big food outlets wanted salmon on their shelves, didn't matter if it was farmed salmon or not.these salmon farms have destroyed wild salmon populations.Governments don't care as they're in the back pockets of these food chain outlets.
@@Ronny.81 Very true, I did mention fish farms, The river that I use to fish a lot, was extremely well known for being the best Sea Trout River in Europe. I can remember a time when the summer run happen, it was thick with sea trout and that was only in the early 70s, it was nothing to catch 2 to 4 fish on each tide with rod and line.
What destroyed this river was the closing off all the side streams and ditches, the tried to push it all onto the Salmon spawning beds, which reduce the numbers that would survive, and when they went weed cutting they walk all over the spawning grounds which killed the majority of the fry.
And if that was not enough, they removed the gravel to be cleaned, wiping out a whole spawning ground, making it sterile. Fish have never spawned on that ground again
And they blamed the poachers why there were very few fish spawning.
They are unable to take the blame for what they have done, When if you look at the history of the river, hundreds of thousands of fish were taken out of the river each year for centuries and never made any impact. But the moment the rich and powerful moved in, the numbers dwindled very fast
@@southerneruk That's just awful that! I never half of what you've just written. What a shame tho.
@@Marie.M68 That's the way it really is. like the old saying "it's the poor that gets the blame, it's the rich that gets all the pleasure"
@@southernerukmuch easier to blame the common man.. after all, they can't afford to fight you in court..
40,000 fish a year ?.?.. that’s over 100 salmon EVERY DAY . Come hell, high water or ill health. Bollocks
It’s only poaching because rich landowners want it all for themselves and have the ability to make laws
i wonder it this would happen in us with most rural people hevey armed ?
My home town the best people in the world
We need regulations, but who writes the rules?
I wonder why there’s no fish left to fish????? Thick as!!!!
Because of those nasty sea farms spreading the sea lice to the wild salmon!
Because the waterways are polluted with sewage thanks to the tories
I agree everyone should be allowed fish but posching no numbers are too low
Numbers wouldn't be too low of the rich b*stards put the money they stole back into the environment that they destroyed
Anyone should be able to hunt and fish anytime they want for food period
£500 for a days fishing well that comes under the taking the piss law.
Obiously everyone can't do what he does but by the same token people shouldn't have to put up with having to pay lord and lady muck from cowshit farm a fortune for the right to fish for salmon and be forced to put up with their stupid snooty rules. Bag limits yes, method restrictions no.
There's a reason they didn't go down the bag limit route.. because we all limit our bag to what we need already.. we of course want the food source to be there in the future.. all they care about is taxing and restricting.
Greengrass of Scotland.
it was tough in the 80,s on the wye ,but the salmon where in their thousands i made a fortune netting them until the so called land owners called in the SAS to help cut the poaching down ,they payed a lot of money for their service but it made a big difference and cut down on the idiots trying to get rich quick , only the likes of my self still got away with it ,great times i would do it all again given half the chance , i once hade a nice haul out of junction pool only traveled up to net it because i was told it could not be done ,great times .
money again !! if I lived there look out I would porch like fuck
I dont agree with poaching for profit weather that be fish or game. Im guilty of poaching myself but i dont sell anything. I literally go out, as soon as i get a rabbit, or a woodpigeon, or a fish. The very first thing i get i just go home happy that i have that one animal for the dinner table. I wouldn't dream of getting as much as i could especially for money. Id rather eat what i catch to unload some of the financial burden we have in todays days. We cant even eat a balanced diet half the time. "Eat your 5 a day" yeah right. Id be homeless if i wanted to add my 5 veg a day to my meals. These days i have to forage for my greens, and if i want meat...... i take 1 animal and be happy with what i have. Ive never sold anything or traded anything.
But i also dont agree with EVERY piece of land being owned by someone or some authority. Public has no place at all..... its all been taken over by farms, fisheries and conservation authorities. Id rather poach a rabbit than go shoplifting to feed myself.
Didn't know there were so many Trumpers in UK. Interesting comments here
Only one thing I would like to say , Is I hope you never give up your principles and turn bailiff.We have the same problem in the South of Ireland where the scum bailiffs thing they are above the law. In fact on many occasion they have went way above the law and got away with it. And let certain people take fish under there noses and hound the living daylights out of the locals.
Bullets would be my answer to scum like that. Then a good size tarp, a good bit of rope, some god sized rocks and in the drink they go.
We should all get our food this way but it should be regulated cos that's ridiculous emptying the rivers
I stayed. In Wales on river Usk. My friends in. England wanted a salmon I said I will get one for you. Well I met an old poacher. Named Jim. He said come round later. And will get you one when I showed up. He did what size. About 9lbs. He had a chest freezer it was full to the brim with salmon. Any way I brought it back with me. Well. Pleased !!!!
Of course no one should use nets on the river, but how on earth can someone own the salmon? If caught on fly by a licensed trout angler. Im so grateful to live on New Zealand where with a license you can fish anywhere, there is no private water, even though sone is very hard to get to
God bless every POACHER , everyone should have the right to fish but the rich have hoarded the lot. good luck to him i say
@florgon depends on the individual, when I was homeless I would hunt and trap rabbits on farmland, I would do the odd bit of fishing every now and then.
I would take the occasional pheasant if I had the chance to but never more than what I need or could preserve
When you have no other option breaking the law is all you can do when the system won't help you.
Poachers steal from EVERYONE
Thank you for that. I am now going into my 84th year. still strong. a funny tale. I was being shadowed by two very young policemen. I ran through the yards jumped over the old sheep dip. The police did not jump over they both fell in and boy oh boy did they smell sweet. grey green slime all over. they started shouting we will get you. They never did. I have many tales I could tell but some must stay with me.
@@bwghall1 respect mate the countryside is for everyone not just the snobs eat the rich
@@xMrjamjam I take rabbit, hare, pheasant, partridge,for the pot.
Big gangs taking all they can, no
time for em.
But I won't stop, love pitting my wits with snares, and my little
lurcher, local keepers know, but
can do little 😃
40,000 fish a year , they should make him the bailiff , 800 fish per week @ £20 ea = £1600 per week , get the tax man onto him
a true poacher doesnt show his face and only poaches food and you can fish the big rivers now for very little compared to when this was filmed because no-one fishes now and the poachers and sea-lice finished any fish that were left
They knew him anyway he’d been caught a few times, you know nothing of poaching..
@@garethh6962 i came from 3 generations of gill netters that where never caught, i know enough, lets see your cards now big man
The Doyle fisheries took out more salmon than the poachers ever could - they - the British state were and are the real criminals here as regards poaching on the river foyle even today.
He needs to poach more to afford the smoking lol
His favourite way to eat salmon has got be smoked,,,, surely.
Providing it really is one for the pot and not filling bag after bag for profit and you are not Damaging or stealing property,then Iam for the poacher that's for salmon,Deer,heir and other game. No problem with it stuff the rich and over entitled who want to take people to court for the ones who are genuinely in it for the pot.
Your land is my land
woody Guthrie
It's wild fish 🐟
Pity but l couldn't understand his dialect
To the people who complain about poachers (professional poachers and not the cowboys) who are they harming? There not murdering people and selling people drugs. They are hurting the Lords and the lady's who don't like to share their game with the commonor
they kinda harm the fish the need into the river to spawn and repopulate
@@whitetroutchannel I'll concede that it's a fair point
@@whitetroutchannel No it does not work like that. you are silly. we manage all from herbs animals and fish. so there will be plenty next year. also that applies to wild flowers/
@@bwghall1 eh? Reproduction? 🤔
@@whitetroutchannelwrong, because we always put small ones back and never take when spawning, nursing etc.. you don't know real poachers, we care more about the animals well being and population than anyone else.. why would we choose to take them to extinction? We wouldn't.. then we'd have no food source..
William Wallace would be proud
From the comments here most people are totally missing the point about illegal fishing, poaching and removing salmon from the rivers.
Atlantic Salmon numbers are in serious decline and if poaching, and other threats, aren't stopped then there won't be any salmon for anyone.
Says who ? .. I mean can the people see in the water who tell you this information .. how do they know ? I mean we are told that the earth is being destroyed by us humans, but I see no evidence of that . Maybe the Lords should stop all these syndicates who charge big money to townies who come and kill all the fish.. Don't worry about it anyway, because there's plenty more fish in the sea !
@@margaretmoore7034 salmon stocks are constantly being counted by several means including tagging, catch records, fish counters in strategic positions, cameras etc. Until fairly recently my local river used to get more than 1000 salmon run up it and in the last few seasons we have seen numbers drop below 50. They are at critically low numbers now. It would only need a couple of poachers with nets to remove a few salmon and that would see the end of salmon here forever. Once they are gone they are gone.
In addition to this non native predators are being protected.
Have a quick Google for salmon farming and its pollution and effects on the wild salmon population.
@@truthteller8567 Yes I suppose you are right.. Were I live there are poachers and there are super poachers, meaning the super poacher doesn't just get two or three fish, he gets two or three big black binliners full.. all which are caught during spawning season using a fly rod, lead core line and a massive treble hook which is used to "snatch" the Salmon/Seatrout by foul hooking them as they swim upstream the day after a big flood.. and big money is made by it, especially the local restaurants who pay £££s.. I must admit that I have tickled my fair share over the years.. when I was young, but these snatchers are really spoiling it all for everyone in the long run.
It's getting back to medieval times the rich have every thing
Leave them alone they making a leaving
The method he used. Was. Two. Treble. Hooks. Dragged across the pools. Jim said. He caught. 40. Salmon one day. Doing this. !! I heard he was. Caught. Week later and went to prison or a few months !!!!
Good on the poacher nobody owns the river and the fish I'm in Galashiels and most people are in favour of the poacher the river is not just for Ian Botham and Chris tarant both I've personally seen fishing the tweed it's fine if you have ££ Scotland belongs all Scots regardless of money this guy's a heroe in the pubs of gala
The so called laws of the land aren't governed by Human beings, the law's and principles of universal movement are Laws of the universe above. The ebb snd flow and Life itself absolutely relies on the movement and shift ot the star constellations and the electro magnetic force's. A fish doesn't look at itself as owned, and neither is a male or female human being. No man owns anything at all, because we are passing through this spiritual realm and only borrow what is needed on the journey of our life.... No man shall rule over another...
“Theres nay trespass laws in Scotland anyway”
Wrong. That is not true atall. There definitely is a trespass law in Scotland. I think he just tells himself that to feel he’s not doing anything wrong.
Went on a marathon deep sea fishing trip 2 weeks ago, 4 hrs out of Boston Mass , 400 ft down we all 23 of us were pulling up Codfish, the good Captain said throw them all back.WOW have things changed in 30 yrs, ended up catching nice Reds, plenty , the wife was happy. 64 now 100% disabled, pulling up 400 ft all day ripped the back, ,in bed all the next day. Oh well. I hope to be Bearhunter5 in August. Thanks
FACT - Most poachers die of cancer!!!
Fish poaching not good.
Poaching salmon = right up my street started way back in 1980 when i was 13 yrs old and im still er here.......42 seasons on North East English Rivers mainly Wear Tyne Tees Esk > (Whitby) but also cumbrian rivers and now up and coming yorkshire rivers ouse/ure wharfe swale etc etc etc... times caught i dunno lost count its been that many somewhere in region of 200+ times easily////......nearly all rod fishing ...hevey line small 6# treble....or 2# treble weighted at back or top of the knot with 5-5 super ssgs did me days at netting but its not quite me i prefer the rod...tweed done it nith annan done.......border esk done english lune done ouse done ure done swale done wharfe done....the last lot of rivers aint seen salmon runs in hundreds of years now they all booming even leeds bradford and sheffield gets runs in aire & calder and don yorkshire Don that is..salmon in the mersey irwell goyt !!!! salmon in doncaster spawners in sheffield fish leave done head up dove to rotherham then head for barnsely in the river rother......east coast has came alive with fish....
Good luck poaching river Wye, not many salmon there. unfortunatly that beautiful river is full of turds and other sewage thanks to greedy people.
imagine poaching how terrible 😉
With that many f bonds this is not worth watching! I'm out with a thumbs down.
I remember the first time I saw my mate tickle a sea trout out of a little beck.. I thought I'd seen magic, it was the start of the addiction. Now I used to be a heavy smoker like this fella in the video, but I gave it up ages ago now.. but I when I'm out mooching about especially at night time I can smell anyone who is smoking nearby.. so a bit of wise advice is never ever light up a cigarette while you are poaching, because most Keepers of today don't smoke and they will be straight fucking onto you just by the smell.. even if your jacket smells of fags, you won't smell it but it will reek up to a quarter or a mile away down wind to a keeper..
I like a light head when angling. But you are right, us ex smokers of tobacco especially can smell it miles off.
Correct. Watch war films where smokers sneak up on people. Same with using deodorant. Defies reality.