365:170 BIL DERBY

This image is a sketchbook picture taken as part of a longer term personal project about the loss of industry on the waterfront. The subject is a ‘gurdy’, a winch of sorts that plays a key role in trolling for salmon. Seeing (and touching) these brings back memories of the many summers I spent trolling with Dad on the Fishing Vessel Kev Ann, our 40-foot wooden troller built by my Dad. The smells and sounds of the boat, the easy feeling of a wooden boat underway, and the seductive rhythm of the sea come alive in my memory. The Kev Ann had Easthope gurdies, same as these, mounted 3 aside and loaded with stainless wire that was ‘crimped’ every fathom so you could stack the fishing gear (leaders and lures) vertically in the water to target different species by both depth and gear type.