Book excerpt: This book delves into the varied fishing methods found around the coast of the Bristol Channel. From herring fishing in picturesque Clovelly and mud fishing in Bridgewater Bay, to long-netting on the river Severn and stop-netting on the river Wye, and the cockle and oyster fishers of South Wales, the reader can identify with many fish and shellfish found in these waters. The area under consideration stretches from Hartland Point in the south-west, right up to the lower reaches of the rivers Severn & Wye, and on the north side, from the Welsh border along the river Wye, the coast stretches to the Milford Haven and the river Cleddau, and includes the lave-net and coracle fishermen, the fisheries of Swansea and Carmarthen Bays, and Tenby. Accompanied by photographs and line drawings, this fascinating book also looks at the various types of boats in use in these waters, and includes a brief history of the Bristol Channel pilot cutters.