SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 665 Title : Dipper: 53 - Tam Lowrie's Muckle Fish Author(s): John Reid Copyright holder(s): John Reid Text At crack o dawn ae Lammas day, The mornin sky juist growin grey, Tam Lowrie steiked his cottage door An set oot on his favorite splore. For Tam had aye the fishin fever - Kenned faur an wide on loch an river He heeded neither time nor tide, For fishin he'd lay ocht aside. Tam was a souter, famed an guid But whan the troot were in the tid Baith young an auld micht rin barefuit, For buits an shuin were left tae sit. He'd try for troots, or geds or graylin, But saumon were his special failin Whan spates cam doun an fish ran up He'd halt for neither bite nor sup, An nou, though still a kennin broun, A "bank tae bank" wis finin doun An Tam, as usual, had his visions O muckle saumon up in dizzens. Tam was a man wha'd never mairried He'd seen guid fishin plans miscairried Through girnin wives an ailin weans - He kept awa frae nuptial chains. Sae ilka day was aa his ain, An Tammas steppit oot his lane Tae try the puil below the linn Whaur big fish restit frae their rin. His muckle rod he muntit fast Wi reel, an line, an horsehair cast, An, lest he shuid a monster see, Tied thirty plies next tae the flee. Aa fishers worthy o the name Ken weel that feelin in the wame As oot they throw the day's first cast Tam's hopes, aye high, were risin fast He watched his flee move through the puil An wroucht it roun wi canny skill, Hingin it ower a weel-kent lie, Anticipation mountin high. Anither cast withoot a pluck Led him tae try a third, for luck, An shair eneuch, a monstrous tail Cut through the watter like a sail! Tam caad upon his Maker's name Poed bak the rod, the heuk gaed harne, The saumon turned its muckle heid An set aff for the sea at speed! The skreichin reel spewed oot blue reek, The line becam a hissin streak, An Tam's brogues on the rocks played clatter As he tae heidit doun the watter. Puil efter puil that fish breenged through While Tammas wiped his streamin broo An joukit trees an lowpit saughs An ran, near braithless, doun the haughs. But, nearin nicht, things slowed a wee. Tam streekit oot below a tree, The fish had tired, an lay deep doun, An syne the pair were sleepin soun. But Tam was slee, an roun his lug Had wund the line, sae that a rug Wad roose him, waukened, ware an willin, Gin aince the saumon stertit pullin. The warnin teug cam wi daylicht, Tam held the rod wi aa his micht, An sae the twae set aff again, The fish still pouin like a train. But syne the strain began tae tell, Tam's heid was ringin like a bell, The fish whiles rowed, his tail played slatter An fearsome swirls broke the watter. Juist then, Tam saw a welcome sicht - An auld frien's tractor, braw an bricht, Clatterin doun a nearby brae, Weel loadit wi some bales o strae. Mains o Pittendreich himsel Was drivin't, an he heard Tam's yell, Cam doun tae see whit was adae An syne enlistit in the fray. Against sic odds, nae fish could win, At last the tractor drew him in, Tam cloured him wi a pilin stab, Then shuik hauns wi his guid frien Rab. 'Dod, Rab,' he gasped, 'that ane's nae minnon! Withoot your help, he'd still be rinnin. Nou haun me ower that hedgin knife - Ye'll tak a cut back tae the wife.' 'Thanks, Tam,' said Rab, but juist the same Ye'd better keep it, for at hame We are na fond o fish ava, An saumon wad be shair tae staw. But, no tae huff a kindly frien, Juist let me hae his muckle een.' 'His een!' cried Tam, wi runkled broo, 'Whit mortal uise are they tae you?' 'Man, Tammas,' said the laird o Mains, 'They'll mak me twa graun curlin-stanes!' ___ Lammas/August 1st souter/shoemaker ged/pike kennin/little linn/waterfall muntit/mounted,set up plies/strands haugh/level ground beside a river streekit/stretched wund/wound roose/rouse ware/alert rowed/rolled clour/batter,thump pilin stab/fence post runkled/wrinkled This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document. Information about document and author: Text Text audience General public: Audience size: 1000+ Text details Method of composition: Handwritten Year of composition: 1991 Word count: 733 General description: Anthology of prizewinning and other Scots poems, and short stories in Ayrshire Scots. Text medium Book: Radio: Other: Audiocassette Text publication details Published: Publisher: Luath Press Publication year: 1991 Place of publication: Barr, Ayrshire ISBN/ISSN: 0946487227 Edition: First Part of larger text: Contained in: The Dipper an the Three Wee Deils: Tales and Poems in Ayrshire Scots Editor: Authors: Dr. J. A. Begg and J. Reid Page numbers: 132-134 Text setting Leisure/entertainment: Private/personal: Text type Poem/song/ballad: 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: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Home, socially Language: French Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: As necessary Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Home, socially