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Document 787

Dipper: 05 - Fishers Tak Tent

Author(s): John Reid

Copyright holder(s): John Reid

Audio transcription

M738 Fishers tak tent

Maist anglers, through the fishing season,
Can keep their passion within reason,
Whiles wine an dine a trauchled wife
Tae keep awa domestic strife,
Or tak weans tae a fitba gemme
Tae gie her peace an quate at hame.

Sic thochts ne'er bothered Willie Fyfe.
For him there was nocht else in life
But fishin, mornin, noon an nicht,
It was his ae lee-lang delicht.
Wark, wife an weans were aye negleckit
When risin troot could be expeckit.
But, sune or late, life's cup rins tume,
An Willie gaed tae his lang hame.

He tuik it as nae mair than due
Tae wauken tae a heavenly view
- A crystal river, clear an cuil,
An at his feet a troot-ringed puil,
While by his side, tae serve his needs,
A wee man stuid in keeper's tweeds,
Wi rod an net, an flees an flask,
But Willie thocht it best tae ask.
'Wad the Laird fin faut, dae ye think', said he,
'Gin I tuik the rod an cuist a flee
Ower yon twa-punner risin there?'
'Na, sir, for 'deed, that's why we're here'.

Then for a while Will had his wish
An heuked an played fish efter fish,
Till ten fat troot lay big an braw
Like gowden guineas in a raw
- But frae upstream there cam a splatter
As better fish lowped frae the watter.
'I think,' said Will, 'I'll hae a try
At yon faur bigger fish up-bye.'
'Na, sir,' the voice said at his side,
'This puil is whaur we baith maun bide.'

Will stuid, as still's a granite stane,
While fearsome doots crept through his brain.
Said he, 'Let me hae this thing clear.
Ye mean we fish naewhere but here?
An ilka troot will be the match
O ilka ither ane I catch?'
'Aye, sir.' the voice was wae an low,
Like ane wha'd suffered lang an slow.
'But this is hellish, man!' cried Willie.
'Na, sir. It's Hell,' replied his ghillie.

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APA Style:

Dipper: 05 - Fishers Tak Tent. 2026. In The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. Retrieved 6 September 2026, from http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=787.

MLA Style:

"Dipper: 05 - Fishers Tak Tent." The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow, 2026. Web. 6 September 2026. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=787.

Chicago Style

The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech, s.v., "Dipper: 05 - Fishers Tak Tent," accessed 6 September 2026, http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=787.

If your style guide prefers a single bibliography entry for this resource, we recommend:

The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. 2026. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk.

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Information about Document 787

Dipper: 05 - Fishers Tak Tent

Audio

Audio audience

General public
For gender Mixed
Audience size 1000+

Audio awareness & spontaneity

Speaker awareness Aware
Degree of spontaneity Fully scripted

Audio footage information

Original title The Dipper an the Three Wee Deils
Year of recording 1993
Recording person id 752
Size (min) 3
Size (mb) 10

Audio footage publication details

Published
Publisher/Broadcaster Scotsoun
Publication/Broadcast date 1993-01-01
Place of publication/broadcast Glasgow

Audio medium

Radio/audio

Audio setting

Leisure/entertainment
Private/personal

Audio relationship between recorder/interviewer and speakers

Friend
Speakers knew each other Yes

Audio speaker relationships

Friend
Other Co-authors of book from which recording was made

Audio transcription information

Title of original The Dipper an the Three Wee Deils
Transcriber id 689
Year of transcription 2005
Year material recorded 1993
Word count 342

Audio transcription publication details

Published
Publisher/Broadcaster Luath Press
Publication/Broadcast date 1991-01-01
Place of publication/broadcast Barr, Ayrshire
ISBN/ISSN 0946487227

Audio type

Poetry reading/song/ballad performance
General description From a recording of a selection of short stories and prize winning poems (Scottish National Open Poetry Competition)

Author

Author details

Author id 738
Forenames John
Surname Reid
Gender Male
Decade of birth 1910
Educational attainment University
Age left school 17
Upbringing/religious beliefs Protestantism
Occupation Retired Head Teacher
Place of birth Dalry
Region of birth N Ayr
Birthplace CSD dialect area Ayr
Country of birth Scotland
Place of residence Lockerbie
Region of residence Dumfries and Galloway
Residence CSD dialect area Dmf
Country of residence Scotland
Father's occupation Commmercial Traveller
Father's place of birth Dalry
Father's region of birth N Ayr
Father's birthplace CSD dialect area Ayr
Father's country of birth Scotland
Mother's occupation Housewife
Mother's place of birth Beith
Mother's region of birth N Ayr
Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area Ayr
Mother's country of birth Scotland

Languages

Language Speak Read Write Understand Circumstances
English Yes Yes Yes Yes Home, socially
French Yes Yes Yes Yes As necessary
Scots Yes Yes Yes Yes Home, socially

Participant

Participant details

Participant id 738
Gender Male
Decade of birth 1910
Educational attainment University
Age left school 17
Upbringing/religious beliefs Protestantism
Occupation Retired Head Teacher
Place of birth Dalry
Region of birth N Ayr
Birthplace CSD dialect area Ayr
Country of birth Scotland
Place of residence Lockerbie
Region of residence Dumfries and Galloway
Residence CSD dialect area Dmf
Country of residence Scotland
Father's occupation Commmercial Traveller
Father's place of birth Dalry
Father's region of birth N Ayr
Father's birthplace CSD dialect area Ayr
Father's country of birth Scotland
Mother's occupation Housewife
Mother's place of birth Beith
Mother's region of birth N Ayr
Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area Ayr
Mother's country of birth Scotland

Languages

Language Speak Read Write Understand Circumstances
English Yes Yes Yes Yes Home, socially
French Yes Yes Yes Yes As necessary
Scots Yes Yes Yes Yes Home, socially

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