Gone fishing

For centuries, fishermen have taken to the North Sea in cobles. A Viking would recognise Shaun Elwick's small wooden boat, even though it is powered by an engine rather than oars and a sail.

But if that Viking returned in a generation's time, he might not see another. Many fear Shaun and his fellow band of coble fishermen could be the last of the line.

A few decades back Whitby harbour was crammed with cobles, the same as every coastal town between the Tweed and the Humber. Today Shaun's vessel Charisma, based at Whitby, is one of only a handful still working.

The decline is based on the industrialisation of fishing, he believes. Thirty-foot deck trawlers with nets made from imperishable twine can haul up far more than two or three men in a coble.

"They're working with much more gear. The bigger boats can take up 1,200 pots a day," he said.

"I prefer the coble because you are sitting in the water. In the bigger boats, you are sitting above the water."

Shaun has been coble fishing for 23 years, first with his uncle then, for the past 15 years, in his own boat. Thanks to its sturdy, traditional design and careful maintenance, the Charisma retains its original charm, with only one repair needed so far.

The catch changes with the seasons, although the work is always hard. Since October, 38-year-old Shaun and two others have been "long-lining". They set off before dawn and cast eight long lines, each with 210 hooks baited with squid. It is midday at the earliest before they return.

The routine changes over the summer. From next month, he will go out just with one companion as early as 3.30am, to haul up lobster and crab pots and fish for salmon. All his catches are sold to a local factory.

Because his is such a small boat, Shaun is even more reliant on good weather than other fishermen. For long periods this winter he has been idle, awaiting a clear calm day.

Even once a fishing expedition is under way, the weather can change quickly. Shaun fishes from Haburn Wyke, north of Scarborough, up to Redcar, but never more than three miles out to sea. Instinct tells him when a storm is about to break, and then he makes for the nearest harbour.

It is a tough way to earn a living, but he wouldn't swap it.

"It's the thrill of the game. One day you come back with a big catch, the next day you might not get anything. You're coping with the sea and the tides and always pitting your wits against the fish."

Shaun is married to Veronica, has a son, Mark, 16, and two daughters, Becky, 11, and Zoe, eight. Although he loves to go fishing with his dad, Mark is autistic and so would struggle to take on his father's business.

The decline of this ancient form of fishing - and of the boatyards which make the cobles - leaves Shaun fearing that his way of life could soon die out.

It is a fear shared by Charles Bowden, the TV producer who has told Shaun's story as part of his two-part documentary, The Last Fishermen.

"It's a way of life which is finishing as changes take place," he said. "One of the dangers for us is that these changes take place imperceptibly and we don't really realise they're happening.

"These fascinating memories should be recorded before they have gone for ever."

As well as going fishing with Shaun, Charles and his camera crew visited a Whitby boatyard to watch the first coble to be built in the North East for 12 years take shape.

Lennie Oliver, his brother Rob and Steve Cook have been building the Bay Joe to a traditional design.

This is living history, said Lennie. "It's the first coble to be built for a long time, and it could be the last."

The Last Fishermen is a CBTV production. It is screened on Tyne Tees at 5.45pm tomorrow and at 5.30pm on Sunday, April 13g

Updated: 12:24 Saturday, March 29, 2003