Flounder tramping
Encyclopedia
Flounder tramping is a traditional method of catching flounder
or other flat fish
by wading in shallow water and standing on them.
This method of fishing was used in the coastal waters and river estuaries
of South West Scotland
for centuries. Once trapped the fish were often secured by impaling them on a leister before being bagged. A leister is the local name for a trident
or three pronged long handled spear. Although traditional, the use of leisters to aid capture is no longer permitted (presumably for safety reasons).
, a small village on the Urr Water
, 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
.
In July 2010 Dumfries and Galloway Council announced its intention to ban the flounder tramping championships on "Health and Safety" grounds.
Flounder
The flounder is an ocean-dwelling flatfish species that is found in coastal lagoons and estuaries of the Northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.-Taxonomy:There are a number of geographical and taxonomical species to which flounder belong.*Western Atlantic...
or other flat fish
Flatfish
The flatfish are an order of ray-finned fish, also called the Heterosomata, sometimes classified as a suborder of Perciformes. In many species, both eyes lie on one side of the head, one or the other migrating through and around the head during development...
by wading in shallow water and standing on them.
This method of fishing was used in the coastal waters and river estuaries
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
of South West Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
for centuries. Once trapped the fish were often secured by impaling them on a leister before being bagged. A leister is the local name for a trident
Trident
A trident , also called a trishul or leister or gig, is a three-pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and was also a military weapon. Tridents are featured widely in mythical, historical and modern culture. The major Hindu god, Shiva the Destroyer and the sea god Poseidon or Neptune are...
or three pronged long handled spear. Although traditional, the use of leisters to aid capture is no longer permitted (presumably for safety reasons).
Flounder tramping championships
On the first Saturday each August, PalnackiePalnackie
Palnackie is a village in the Parish of Buittle, in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright in Scotland. Since 1995 it has been in Dumfries and Galloway Council Administrative Region.It has a population of around 150....
, a small village on the Urr Water
Urr Water
Urr Water or River Urr is a river in southwest Scotland.Entirely within Dumfries and Galloway, the Urr Water originates at Glenlair, and flows southwards for thirty miles from Loch Urr to its outflow into the Solway Firth at Rough Firth...
, 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
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
.
In July 2010 Dumfries and Galloway Council announced its intention to ban the flounder tramping championships on "Health and Safety" grounds.