In article
,
redietz wrote:

It's a British term.

(Horrified shudders)

It's an Irish term - although it's now common throughout Britain.

First used by Newland in 'The Erne' 1851. In 1900 William Senior noted
that:

'The baton, or short cudgel, used to perform the last offices for
captured fish is still called the "priest", the name lingering,
perhaps, more in Ireland than in England or Scotland.'
(Pike and Perch)

The implication that the name was dying out was wrong. It is indeed the
standard term throughout the British Isles.

I wouldn't spend $100 dollars for one, but I do own a couple of
beautifully turned, lead-filled pieces of wood for salmon. As redietz
suggests, spending a lot on a priest is like spending a lot on a reel.
It's not necessary, but some people like to do it. (I often fish bamboo
with a silk line on a Hardy Perfect. But I don't need to.)

Lazarus