The flake plague has struck. The flake, or dogfish as it's widely known is a species of shark and has a particular liking for herring ...........

Unpredictable, that's fishing! On 19th November 1821 the St Ives boats went out after herring and they landed the biggest catch of pilchard known up to that time.

Herring! Great numbers of herring, the like of which was scarce known before....

On 30 October 1899 the fishing boat Emeline left Lowestoft to return home to Mousehole. She never arrived. What happened to her?

The 11th October 1837 marked the first appearance of shoals of herring off St Ives for 14 years. It was the first day of a plentiful season....

It’s 9.15 of a Tuesday morning, and the Swift – with Captain John Jacka at the helm – is heading out to sea. Captain Jacka is proud of the Swift: she’s a long-liner, only seven years old, with a proper motor.

27 August 1808: The greatest abundance of pilchards ever know have been taken this week in the Mount's Bay. At St Ives there are more than 10000 hogsheads landed...........

On 18^th June 1817 a meeting was held at the Guildhall in Penzance, chaired by the High Sheriff - Mr Harris of Kenegie, to consider how to help the widows and orphans of the 14 fishermen on “two mackrell boats” who had drowned in a great storm on 13^th June.

Long days at sea, fat wads of cash, plentiful booze, a cultural misunderstanding of two and an exchange with the boys in blue. Fish, fight and copper?