Do bheir rón ar an bait a bhí agamsa ag iascach tráthnóna agus bhíos lán-deimhnitheach gur pollóg a bhí ’gam. D’éirigh sé ar mé a tharrach agus dh’éirighíos-sa ar eisean a tharrach ach bhí sé róláidir dom in aisce. Bhí sé ag déanamh isteach ar dhallóg na róinte liom agus mise a’ tarrach amach ar mo dhícheall ach níorbh aon chabhair dom é, bhíos á bhreith leis aige go tapaidh.
Thugamar ana-thamall ag gabháilt dá chéile agus ní raibh ’fhios agam cad a bhí ’gam go dtí sa deireadh d’éirigh sé os cionn an uisce, sin é an uair a aithníos mo rón. Sin é an uair a scanraíos mar cheapas go mbéarfadh sé isteach mé. Bhí gadhairín sa bhád in éineacht liom, gadhairín beag dubh go raibh Paddy mar ainm air. Do chaitheas amach an gadhairín h-ent a mbéarfadh sé air ach níor dhein. B’é toil Dé gur bhris sé an drae [dorú] agus é ag déanamh isteach ar an ndallóg liom. Sin a raibh á bharr ’gam luach ceithre scillinge drae agus luach scillinge de bhait a bheith curtha bun os cionn liom aige, ach ba chuma dhom ón uair ná rabhas féin aige.
A seal took the bait that I had for fishing one afternoon, and I was absolutely certain that it was a pollock I had. He succeeded in pulling me and I succeeded in pulling him, but it was in vain, he was too strong for me. He was trying to make for the seals’ lair, and I was trying my best to pull back, but that was no help to me, he was pulling me quickly along with him.
We spent quite a time pulling each other and I didn’t know what I had, until eventually he came up above the water and I recognised my seal. That was when I got scared because I thought he would pull me in. There was a little dog in the boat with me, a little black dog called Paddy. I threw him out in hopes that the seal would grab him instead but he didn’t. By God’s will, the line broke as he was making his way into the lair with me. I lost four shillings worth of line and a shilling worth of bait because of him, but I didn’t care, as long as he didn’t have me.