Fishing at St Dogmaels

A tantalising fragment, showing fishermen at St Dogmaels whose livelihoods were on brink of extinction after being a vital part of the local economy for centuries.

Visitors (probably) to the area roll up trousers and hold up skirts as they watch the capture of salmon in Seine nets in the shallows of the River Teifi at St Dogmaels, Ceredigion. They were not to know, perhaps, that they were watching a centuries-old fishing practice that was soon to disappear as a local industry. The herring and whiting trade at St Dogmaels, engaged in from the middle ages onwards, was to come to an end too.

Footage shot by Harold Squibbs who was from Somerset originally but, together with his brother, set up successful photographic businesses in Cardigan and Tenby. Harold was quite a character, as is conveyed in the two volume work written by his grand-daughter, Pamela Fudge (nee Squibbs): ‘South West Wales Through the Lens of Harry Squibbs’ (Vol 1 – South Cardiganshire, Vol II – Pembrokeshire). Harold’s son carried on the photographic business.