Otter Board
Ullapool Museum

An otter board is an ingenious device used for fishing. By using the current of the water, the otter board would be able to move across the river, pulling the fishing line behind it, from which would be trailing a series of ‘snells’ – short lines attached to the main line. It allows the fisherman to have multiple lures in the water, increasing the chance of catching a fish, whilst remaining on the river bank. 

Fish on the other side of the river are less likely to have been scared into hiding by the presence of the fisherman on the bank.  

As these were commonly used by poachers, otter boards were banned Britain by the Salmon Fishery Act 1861.  

Nowadays, if you want to fish for salmon, trout or freshwater fish and eels, you must have a rod fishing licence from the Environment Agency, as well as a permit to fish on the river.