Sc. and north. Also 2 stelle, 4, 7 stel-, 6–7 steill, staill, 8 stale, 7–9 still. [app. repr. OE. (Northumb.) stællo catching of fish, prob. from the root of steall place (STALL sb.1), stęllan to place.] A place in a river provided with arrangements for spreading salmon-nets. In Cumberland, ‘a barrier placed across a river’ (Eng. Dial. Dict.).

1

1099–1128.  Charter, in Feodarium Prior. Dunelm. (Surtees), 28, note. And haliware stelle ic habbe ʓetyðed Sce cuhtberht his aʓen into his cyrce.

2

1467.  Dunfermline Reg. (Bannatyne Club), 358. Inquisicion … langand þe merchis … betwix þe fischingis of þe ald stell pertening to þe Abbot … and [etc.].

3

1574.  Rec. Monast. Kinloss (1872), 158. The remanent fischeingis of the yardis and stellis upoun the watter of Findorne.

4

1583.  Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot., 186/1. Salmonum piscaries de lie staillis et Yairis super aquam de Fyndhorne. Ibid. (1595), 77/2. Fretum de Kessok et piscariam ejusdem vocatam the Steill.

5

1707.  Fountainhall, Decis. (1759), II. 363. The said stells … are deep ponds, pools and ditches in the river, where the salmon haunting are taken in nets spread beneath them.

6

1783.  Ann. Reg., Chron., 215. An action was brought against the corporation of Carlisle, for having a stell across the river Eden.

7

1794.  W. Hutchinson, Hist. Cumberld., II. 522. The river produces … excellent salmon (which are taken in draw-nets since the destruction of the stell at King-garth).

8

1874.  A. Hislop, Scot. Anecd., 542. A still means space in which to extend a net, and sweep round with a view to enclose fish.

9

  b.  Comb., as stell (salmon) fishery, fishing; stell-net (cf. WFlem. stelnet and STELL v.], (see quot. 1870); † stell yair, a ‘yair’ or fish-lock built at the issue of a ‘stell.’

10

1792.  Statist. Acc. Scot., III. 4. There is belonging to the public good of Dingwall, a *stell salmon fishery on Conan.

11

1798.  Surv. Moray, 188. Mr. Brodie of Brodie has a still-fishery on the east side of the river.

12

1707.  Fountainhall, Decis. (1759), II. 363. Five *stell salmond fishings in the river of Findhorn.

13

1794.  Statist. Acc. Scot., XII. 270. The herrings are the only fish caught in this coast, except a few salmon caught at Stale fishing.

14

1806.  Morison, Decis., XXXIII. 14258. The stell fishing in the ferry of Kessoch … is properly a sea fishing.

15

c. 1303.  Reg. Pal. Dunelm. (Rolls), III. 40. Quatuor *stelnettes, duo rednettes.

16

1564.  in Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot. 1584, 213/1. Cum piscationibus salmonum lie stell nettis, in dominio de Lorne. Ibid. (1602), 484/2. Piscationes salmonum vocatas lie Steill-nett of the Priore-schottis on the water mouth of Aw … cum piscatione vocata Staill-nett de Keanlochtive.

17

1792.  Statist. Acc. Scot., IV. 557. A still net has been tried on the lake with some success.

18

1845.  New Statist. Acc. Scot., XIV. II. 206. Salmon Fishery…. The fish are chiefly caught with the stell-net.

19

1870.  Law Rep., Comm. Pl., V. 695. A stell net, that is, a net fastened to stakes across the whole bed of the river.

20

1900.  Law Rep., App. Cases, 406. It is denied that toot and haul nets, or stell nets, or either of them, are fixed engines.

21

1600.  Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot., 341/1. Terras de Culmoir, cum lie *stel-yair, halecum et salmonum piscationibus [etc.].

22