According to the cover notes of Not Fooling Anyone, the words were written by Aaron Watson of South Shields in 1899 and Johnny Handle wrote the tune for inclusion in the Northumbrian Anthology. The song, which concerns itself with the disappearance of sundry fish such as herring, salmon and white fish, could have been written yesterday. Today's fishermen are facing similar problems multiplied by new technology and muddled by international politics. This song may be found in the Tyneside Maritime Chorus songbook