Video

Theres never any poachers until someone claims the land

Amazing number of commentators not seeming to realise this little film was made over 30 years ago.

Rip Gaffy 💔 Best grandad anyone could have had ❤️

He's living in a dream world , and should have spent the best part of his life behind bars.

If everyone took 30 fish (saying 30 then he means 300) then the stock declines dramatically.

This guy paints himself as a working class hero, but he had his way he would have gill nets stretched all along the river and would take every fish, because it is all about the money. Poachers only care about poachers and they do a ton of damage which other people have to clean up.

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.

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.

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.

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...

Could you considerate on the fish, and cut the fags.

Pity but l couldn't understand his dialect

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

“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.

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

With that many f bonds this is not worth watching! I'm out with a thumbs down.

Greengrass of Scotland.

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

FACT - Most poachers die of cancer!!!

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 !!!!

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 !!!!

William Wallace would be proud

These fuckin heavies are causing ma nicotine habit to get worse. Ayyyeeee……

What a toe rag,as with all thieves he doesn’t give a shit about the consequences or the damage he does. Dresses it up as nabbing something from someone who has too much. Salmon stocks have gone critically low because scumbags like him leave the river bereft of breeding stock through his greed. He does not address this issue and to be honest the film makers were either naive or incompetent in failing to address this matter.

£500 for a days fishing well that comes under the taking the piss law.

Good luck poaching river Wye, not many salmon there. unfortunatly that beautiful river is full of turds and other sewage thanks to greedy people.

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

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 .

It's getting back to medieval times the rich have every thing Leave them alone they making a leaving

If you don’t have a poacher you’re not a successful landowner

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.

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 .

Mans has to sell 30 fish a day just to feed his nicotine habit

Apart from being Heroin capital of North Northumberland?

My home town the best people in the world

Whereas most Salmon fisherman will return the fish they catch to the river because Salmon are now threatened, this selfish idiot pushes them further towards extinction. Angry, resentful and utterly dishonest, he is not the romantic poacher of yore but a tax evading criminal.

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..

Didn't know there were so many Trumpers in UK. Interesting comments here

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.

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

He's got a hell of an alcohol tan.

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.

His favourite way to eat salmon has got be smoked,,,, surely.

The UK has always been about which Lord, Nobleman, Duke, rich person or who ever owns what land and what they can extract from people of lesser means concerning it. It's been happening for centuries and centuries. Until people there go communist and start putting bullets in the back of these land owners heads and taking what's rightfully theirs. It won't stop.

40,000 fish a year ?.?.. that’s over 100 salmon EVERY DAY . Come hell, high water or ill health. Bollocks

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.

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...

Commercial poachers destroyed tweed salmon runs, ecological disaster, it's not about 'the big man' poaching idiot.

Your land is my land woody Guthrie It's wild fish 🐟