Prom at Night, Fishing by Morning

Isla Gale is the first female apprentice skipper on the island. By 2021, the determined and passionate 16 year old hopes to be incharge of her own boat and crew who she’ll take to Scotland.

How did it begin? 

Isla began fishing at the age of 13, inspired by her father who owns Mackerel Mann. Isla says her mother thought it was a phase at first, however, she eventually saw this really was what Isla truly loved and was happy she’d found her passion. Fishing has always been a big part of her life as she often helps her Dad out, allowing her to spend quality time with him as well as learning more about the craft. When Isla was 15, she was approached by a skipper who asked if she was available to work with his crew and, after a phone call to check with her Mum, she went off on a two week trial trip to Scotland which culminated in an offer of a full time four year apprenticeship to become a skipper on the Shannon.

On the Shannon

Isla currently works on the Shannon, the biggest seafood vessel on the island, where she fishes scallops. The boat departs from all harbours on the island, but usually leaves from Peel where it isn’t subject to tidal-based restrictions. Isla and the crew go out on trips for three weeks at a time, spending half the year fishing up in Scotland travelling up the west coast to Sky and Campbell town, and the other half fishing on the Isle of Man. Isla said she loves the opportunity to see different places and especially enjoys heading to Scotland where it is a bit more common to see women in the fishing industry. She said: ‘I confess I’m a bit of a boat nerd so I love seeing the variety of boats when we go up to Scotland.’

Fisherman or Fisherwoman?

Isla said: ‘For every girl it’s different but I like Fisherman, that’s the job title so I’m more than happy to be given that name too.’ However, some other women in the fishing industry do go by Fisherman, Fisherwoman or Fisherfolk.

GCSE’s while fishing

Isla started her apprenticeship in year 11 while she was revising for her GCSE exams, meaning she was often revising at sea. She did her school work in between hauling and her crew helped her revise with her laminated flash cards. Isla loved it and said: ‘It was an escape to be at sea, it was a good scenery change and change from stressing about exams. Once exams were finished and I could finally go back out there, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.’ In the end, being at sea must have been a great environment for revision as Isla achieved an A in GCSE maths. Recently Isla even went from celebrating the end of school in heels at her prom, to being back in wellies on the boat the next day.

Love for the job

Isla says: ‘I love the job so much, my favourite thing about fishing is the beautiful sunrises and sunsets, it’s so calming and helps with my mental health. It’s like my happy place, I like being at sea, everything is better.’ Although she confessed it’s often hard to see her friends out when she goes on social media, Isla said: ‘On the other hand, I think about the future and what I want to do and it settles me down.’

Isla says she also has a great relationship with her skipper and crew which creates a very happy atmosphere during the three week trips. Her dream is to be incharge of her own crew one day and go out on trips. Isla is determined and passionate about her future in fishing and said: ‘It’s about keeping your crew safe, boats in good order and making good wages for you and your crew.’

A Note of Encouragement to Girls

Isla said she found that fishing is not a career path that is well advertised and schools often push for students to stay on for Sixth Form. She would love to see more females in the industry and stressed that it isn’t just for tomboys, she said: ‘If you’re looking to give it a try, I think you should definitely go for it and talk to me if you need.’ Isla said she appreciates the support from her community and hopes she can inspire other girls to take up the craft.