A young sea trout or a trout in its second year that has not yet reached full maturity; also called a whitling.
Possibly from 'herl' or from Scandinavian origins related to 'hirre' or 'harra.' Used in Scottish and Northern English fishing terminology.
Different regions have wildly different names for the same fish at different life stages—a 'herling' in Scotland is what might be called a 'whitling' elsewhere, showing how local fishing cultures developed their own detailed vocabularies.
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