Old Photograph Guddling For Trout In River Tay Highland Perthshire Scotland

Old photograph of men guddling for trout in the River Tay in Highland Perthshire, Scotland. Guddling is a Scots word used to describe attempts to catch fish with your bare hands. Also known as Trout tickling it is the art of rubbing the underbelly of a trout using fingers. If done properly, the trout will go into a trance like state after a minute or so, and can then easily be thrown onto the bank of the river. The technique was a common practice used by boys, poachers and working men in times of economic stress, particularly during the 1930s depression. Poachers using the method required no nets, rods or lines or any other incriminating equipment if apprehended by the police or gamekeepers. In Scotland the technique is sometimes called ginniling. The practice is currently illegal under most circumstances in Britain. A related method of catching catfish by hand is called noodling in the U.S.A.



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