Fisherman's Reel

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

FISHERMAN'S REEL (R5x32) 5C Sq.Set Sue Petyt Dunblane Holiday
5s facing - Ms back to 4s and Ls back to 2s

1- 8 1s+2s+3s+4s circle 8H round and back while 5s turn RH once and LH 1½ times to end 5M facing 2s and 5L facing 4s
9-16 5M+2s also 5L+4s dance RH across, 5s pass LSh and dance LH across with next couple anticlockwise (M with 1s and L with 3s)
17-24 5M dances reel of 3 with 1s+2s (in prom hold) giving RSh to 2s while 5L reels with 3s+4s giving RSh to 4s
25-32 All take partners in prom hold, 5s change place with 1s RSh, 1s pass 4s RSh, 4s pass 3s RSh, 3s pass 2s RSh and 2s end in centre facing each other

(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)

Fisherman's Reel
Sue Petyt Dunblane Holiday
Reel 5 x 32 bars 5 Couple Repeat 5 Couple Set Square Set - 5s inside
5s face each other to start, 5L with back to 2s, 5M with back to 4s.

1-8 1s2s3s4s 8 hands round to the left and back WHILE 5s turn by the right and back by the left, finishing 5L facing 4s, 5M facing 2s;

9-12 5L4s 5M2s right hands across;

13-16 5L3s 5M1s left hands across, finishing with 1s 2s 3s 4s taking promenade hold;

17-24 4s5L3s (5L right shoulder to 4s) and 1s5M2s (5M right shoulder to 2s) reels of 3, finishing with 5s taking promenade hold and facing 1s;

25-26 5s1s pass by the right to exchange places, 1s finishing facing 4s;

27-28 1s4s pass by the right to exchange places, 4s finishing facing 3s;

29-30 4s3s pass by the right to exchange places, 3s finishing facing 2s;

31-32 3s2s pass by the right to exchange places, finishing 5s3s4s1s with 2s in the centre.

(MAXICRIB. Scottish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle)

Fisherman's Reel (R5x32) 5C square set Sue Petyt and Jane Gamon Dunblane Holiday
This is a square set with a fifth couple in the centre, man with his back to fourth couple, facing his partner who has her back to second couple

1-8 First, second, third and fourth couples circle round and back WHILE fifth couple turn with the right hand and back with the left
9-12 Fifth man with second couple, fifth lady with fourth couple, three hands across (right hand)
13-16 Fifth couple pass left shoulder, fifth man with first couple, fifth lady with third couple, three hands across (left hand)
17-24 First, second, third and fourth couples take promenade hold. Fifth man reel of three with first and second couple (right shoulder to second couple) WHILE fifth lady dances a reel of three with third and fourth couples (right shoulder to fourth couple) Fifth couple meet their partner in the centre, facing first couple and take promenade hold
25-26 Fifth couple change places with first couple passing right shoulder
27-28 First couple change places with fourth couple passing right shoulders
29-30 Fourth couple change places with third couple passing right shoulder
31-32 Third couple change places with second couple passing right shoulder

Repeat with a new fifth couple

(Dance crib compiled by the devisers, Sue Petyt and Jane Gamon 1994)

Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams

Fisherman's Reel - Full Size And Key To Symbols

Dance Instruction Videos

Fisherman's Reel - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

Written for the Grimsby Scottish Country Dance Club.

(Dance information by the deviser, Sue Petyt)

Grimsby is a large coastal English town and seaport in North East Lincolnshire, of which it is the administrative centre. Lying on the South Bank of the Humber Estuary, close to where it reaches the North Sea, It developed as a major sea port, hosting the largest fishing fleet in the world by the mid-20th century.

A fisherman's reel is a device used for the deployment and retrieval of a fishing line using a spool mounted on an axle. Fishing reels are traditionally used in the recreational sport of angling. They are most often used in conjunction with a fishing rod.

Note the play on words, this dance is also of course a Scottish Country Dance reel.

Grimsby Fisherman - Information Video

A Fisherman's Reel

Published in https://suepetyt.e-cribs.org/
Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Grimsby article on Wikipedia.
Text from this original fisherman's reel article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright Jan Tik.

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