OLD-TIME MAORI FISHERMEN

Hokitika Guardian, 20 December 1929, Page 2

OLD-TIME MAORI FISHERMEN

HOME-MADE HOOKS AND NE'IS

TAPUS OF THE ANGLER,

In company with Mr Elsdon Best’s iseven previous monographs, ;is new book, “Fishing Methods and Devices of the Maori,” shows an extraordinary insight into Maori life. This book, published by the Dominion Museum, Wellington, collects in a readily accessible manner all that there is to know regarding the so-called primitive methods of Maori fishermen. Moreover, numerous interesting sidelights are presented on Maori folklore and customs.

One cannot help smiling at the manner in which an old chief gratified himself by taking flip head of a deeply-hated enemy out fishing with him. “He would secure it to the gunwale of his canoe and then make a fishing line fast to it. He.would be notified of a fish biting by :be shaking of tho head,” writes Hr Best. After discussing the Maori as a fisherman and explaining the complicated origin of all fish, this work treats in. some detail the various methods employed to catch these fish. We are> apt to imagine that the modern fishermen, with commercial and sporting, are the last word in efficiency. A glance through this Title book will show, only too plainly, flint the old-time Maori might have taught the modern fisherman with bis i eels and gut, his (bottled bait, and his steel-lined rod, some priceless lessons. FISHING WITH NETS.

Even in 'the days of Cook Maoris were catching fish on a wholesale scale with cunningly-woven nets no less than 1003 yards long and over thirty feet deep, while fish hooks, cleverly carved from hone, shell and wood, were well known and most effectively used ; Even spinning was not an art introduced by the pakeha. The old-time Maoris, as this nook explains, fashioned and used the pakahawai or trolling hook long holme they had seen a white man. In Fact, something like 39 different nets and a score of special hooks were patiently made by hand to meet fhe needs of the early Maori fisherman. Some experts even went so far as to grow young trees artificially so as to 'facilitate tho construction of . good hooks, whilst nets were produced in all sizes from the big thousand-foot- 1 ers down to small shrimo nets. MAKING T INES AND NETS. An interesting chapter discusses the methods of manufacture of lines and hooks. The material from weir-h both the nets and the lines were made was mostly flax, except in some cases, when, the leaves of certain palms were used. The line was formed on the bare thighs hv means of rolling the filh'cj under the hand. Belli single and two-ply lines were manufactured, as good as, if not superior to, the imported article. The Maori

and not a few early pioneers claimed that the Native fish hook was the superior article. Tho Maoris .'omplailied that whilst our hooks were beautifully sharp they were too _>pen and and too brittle. In their hooks the barb lies much closer to the shank. The Maoris contended that this enabled them to catch fish more easily, 'Whatever the merits of the respective hooks may be the fact remains that the Maori actually used to catch fish in large numbers when the pakeha beside hint, using tho same bait, with his factory-made hooks, was tumble, to do so, MANUFACTURING NETS. Fishing, like most other Maori occupations, Was fraught with the most complicated tapus, rules, and regulations. calculated • to turn white the hair of a modern angler. During I he manufacture of a large net, a job For almost an entire tribe, the area surrounding the operations was forbidden ground to anyone engaged :n the. work for fear that the net, when completed, would not catch fish. All adjacent pathways and even canoe routes were zealously guarded. Breaking of the tap ll naturally meant death or something very close to it. As an additional precaution, no food was allowed to be eaten on the scene of operations and no fires were permitted to be kindled. Indeed, one would I think that quite a sigh of relief must have gone up when the wretched net was finished. Most intricate ceremonies. it seems, won* involved in the use not. only of a new net but even of a new fishing line, lit the latter ease Mr Elsdou Best concludes by saving that “when lie caught his first fish his companions were free to commence their fishing.” Mow his companions must have loved the unlucky wieldor of a new line if he did not catch, anything all day. .Some

modern fishermen would have become just a. little unpopular.

CATCHING CRAYFISH AND EELS. Considerable space is given to the problem of catching crayfish and eels. In the case of eels there were over 150 different names for various’ types and over half a dozen methods were employed to catch , them. Even “bob■'bing is mentioned, and would be ■“bobbers” of to-day might well read this portion of the book with advantage. The construction of weirs, often most cunningly sited, receives very detailed treatment. The problem how best to take the lamprey and the whitebait wholesale seemed to have been thoroughly solved by the Maori in a most original manner and is discussed in detail. This hook provides most enlightening and perhaps humbling reading to all those interested in fishing. Tf only as a reminder that the old-time Maori was as good a fisherman as any to he found 10-day, this short monograph will have served its purpose. Scattered tricks of the trade, much Unit was hearsay and half-forgotten, have hoen gathered into the pages of this book and :>reserved for ail time.