Ron & John wait for the rest of their crew to arrive before setting off onto the Exe Estuary from Topsham, Devon. The most important arrival will be their 80 year old skipper, Ken Pym, who has been on the salmon fishing boats since he was in his early teenage years.

The salmon fishing can only take place at low tide, so the boat often has to wait around for the water to become low enough for the men to walk out onto the mud flats, where they place their nets.

The boat's skipper, Ken Pym, is one of Topsham's last true fishermen. Born in 1934, he's known the popular Exe Estuary town through the ages, from it being a thriving port to the tourist holiday location it is now. He remembers seeing German war planes come up the river to bomb the nearby city of Exeter, which he describes as 'by-passing Topsham like it was a jewel they didn’t want to damage'.

Whilst Ken has encouraged a group of his friends to come out on the boat with him every summer, there is a shortage of local interest amongst the young, meaning that the tradition is likely to disappear within the next 10-20 years. Whilst salmon fishing used to be a way of life and a means to earn a decent wage, nowadays with the shorter fishing season (set by the Environment Agency) and other restrictions, it is not possible to carry out the trade as a full-time living. Most of the men just enjoy being out on the River for the peace it gives them, away from their everyday lives.