I had great morning messing about on the river Fal with Oyster Fisherman Les Angell. I put a shout out on Facebook a few months ago & an old school friend put me in touch with Les. Here are some ‘work prints’ I’ve been working on this evening with some new finishes to my images. Les is one of the few fishermen who catch oysters under wind power during the season using traditional methods which have not changed for centuries. Governed by ancient laws that were put in place to protect the natural ecology of the riverbeds and oyster stocks, oystermen fishing in the Fal Oyster Fishery are prohibited from using engines. Instead, sail power and hand-pulled dredges must be used. This is the only oyster fishery in Europe, if not the world, where such traditional methods must be used. Les is a lovely man and it was a pleasure to spend a few hours aboard his boat The Three Sisters.
