I grew up in a NE Scotland fishing port, and for a part-time job in my teens in the 1960s worked in a fish yard where I learned to fillet fish. The yard was run by a mannie who liked a wee drink down the pub. But he did employ a part-time cooper to make barrels for the small amount of herring that was still caught in the North Sea at that time. He made small barrels called firkins for the herring, and it was fascinating to see him make the barrels up from fettling the staves, and hoops and firing them when made. I understood this was to help seal them, but not at all sure how that worked. Once made I helped to pack the gutted herrings in salt, and put in the brine top-ups. The cooper covered the barrels and as the herrings settled more herrings were packed in until it was decided it was full, and the lid was hammered into place. The worst bit of course was if you got a cut in your fingers, as the salt stung like hell!
I loved the smell of the wood in the small cooperage.
.
