Hobbies And Interests
Straight Pin Lure
First Nations people of the Pacific Northwest developed a fishing tool that was sharpened on both ends and resembled a straight pin. The pin was fashioned from wood or bone and tied on the end of a long string. After being baited with a small fish, the lure was tossed in the water and shaken. When a fish took the bait, the string was jerked sharply and the two sharp points pierced its mouth. The fish could then be brought out of the water. Sometimes artificial bait was used to lure fish. Artfully carved out of bone and stone, these lures were just as efficient as the modern versions.
Fish Egg Harvesting
Hemlock branches were used by Canadian First Nations people to collect herring eggs, considered a delicacy. The branches were set out at low tide and held down with rocks. Their position would be marked with a float that was attached to the branches, which were tied together. When the branches were full of eggs, they would be collected and hung on tree branches until they dried. The dried eggs would be eaten as a quick snack or preserved by storing them in animal intestines to add to the winter food stores.
Fish Traps
Fish traps were made by placing rows of stakes into the soft mud in shallow water. Webbing of seaweed or reeds connected the stakes. Archeologists have found evidence of large fish traps on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The two traps, one a chevron shape and the other with the outlines of a flattened heart, are located on the tidal flats of the Comox Harbour. The heart shape has one narrow opening at the top of the heart's curve and a large containment area. The chevron design has two narrow openings, one into the first chevron and a smaller one into the second. The holding sections were all sharp angles. The fish would swim in at high tide and become confused and some would not be able to find their way out. At low tide, fishermen could just wade out into the tidal flats and scoop the fish out with nets.
Winter Fishing
Canadian winters can be long and cold. In the Arctic regions, sometimes the ice covers bodies of water year round. First Nations people became adept at ice fishing. They would make a hole in the ice, then either use a net, fishing string with lure or a spear to catch fish. Sometimes they took advantage of a breathing hole made by a seal and used that to fish. They would also wait quietly for the seal to come back and then shoot or spear it.