Herring: A History of the Silver Darlings

by Mike Smylie

Overview

The story of herring is entwined in the history of commercial fishing. For over two millennia, herring has been commercially caught and its importance to the coastal peoples of Britain cannot be measured. At one point tens of thousands were involved in the catching, processing and sale of herring. They followed the shoals around the coast from Stornoway to Penzance and many towns on Britain’s east coast grew rich on the backs of the ‘silver darlings’.

Fishing historian Mike Smylie looks at the effects of herring on the people who caught them, their unique ways of life, the superstitions of the fisher folk, their boats and the communities who lived for the silver darlings.

With a wealth of illustrations, this fascinating book reveals the little-known history of the herring. And for those who’ve neglected the silver darlings for lesser fish such as cod and haddock, there are a number of mouth-watering recipes to try.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781803996936
Publisher:	The History Press
Publication date:	02/18/2025
Edition description:	New edition
Pages:	316
Product dimensions:	5.08(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Mike Smylie is a regular sight at fishing festivals in Britain and Europe, smoking herring and talking about fishing boats. He is the acknowledged expert on British traditional fishing boats. He is the author of thirteen published books and the co-founder of the 40+ Fishing Boat Association which was founded in 1995 against the background of the scrapping of decommissioned fishing vessels. He is the editor of their thrice yearly magazine entitle Fishing Boats. He is acknowledged as one of the experts on Britain's fishing industry and has been interviewed on both television and radio about the subject. He lives in Bristol.