The Art of Fishing

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 151, 23 December 1921, Page 13

The Art of Fishing

Some Ancient Customs and traditions ■ :'■ ■ ,' (For The Post.) • V ... : -/

[HERE is hardly a better and. •f certainly no cheaper > way /'■ of enjoying a real holiday in New Zealand than d'eepsea fishing. It is'restful,. —-, too, when the fish do not 000000 l „, , i ' bite, and exciting sometimes when they do. It is the ideal sport for " the tired business man," amdi besides there is no fish tasting so. good as thosa newly caught, and caught by oneself.

The Maori is a born fisherman. Since time immemorial he has practised the art, and many of the Maori legends and, traditions have ! their foundation in the art of catching fish and preparing them for food. ■ The story of Maui Potiki; who fished up New Zealand from the sea, is only one of many such tales in Maori mythology. Maui displayed wonderful prowess in the art of fishing, and filled the canoes of his "brothers with crayfish caught in a pot of his own invention. With one haul he filled their, canoes, top, with fish caught in a net of his own (weaving, and so pleased were the. women of the tribe with his skill in filling the larder that they cast reflections on the other men by saying: "He Kiritanga .Koutou." (You are all novices).- ' Maui, too, invented the barb on the arrow, and his brothers said : "E Tama he tara to rae atahua he mea Kauwhai." (Brother, the base of your forehead is the .repose of genius). It was Maui who fished up New Zealand with the jawbone of his grandfather, Muriranga-whenua. As he fished, he sang the song :: r . Give to ' me, O Ocean, ■''.■/ .Weroti's fish, Werota's fish, \ Be it Nuku's rock or not, I shall lift'yoa to tha sky. Hie prayer was answered and he landed the fish, now called New Zealand. Maui, gave strict instructions not to .interfere with or tread on the fish, but people would not listen to the instructions given and,started to run all over it. Hence the hollows, hills, and moun-j tains. Where people started pulling, iwe find peninsulas and .slips. New Zealand is one" of Maui's big game in the piscatorial w0r1d.... Look at the map of New Zealand. Is it hot like a fish? The tail is supposed to be the North Cape and the head Southland. What is Stewart Island? And why the parting at Cook; Strait! Tradition says nothing about this. , FISH IN SEASON. Now to the fisherman and his methods. Fish, Uke anything1 else, have their bad and good seasons. It is the same with Nature on land. Look at the native birds. Pigeons have their seasons. They are of no earthly use as human food except- in July and August, and tuis are no good except in June. It is g because their favourite berries—the miro, the whinau, taraire, temako, aid others—are then ripe. I take it the fish have their deep-sea berries at certain seasons of,, which the Maoris are cognisant. At&hing the Maori is ah adept. Maoris have their special seasons for different species; of fish. If they catch a schnapper in the months of February and March, they do not oare much about it. The Maori has different methods for catching different fish, and all his methods display the skill that comes from long experience handed down by tradition; _ . The kahawai is not a special favourits' with the pakeha, but the Maori makes it a staple f«W- Fir»t ' ,te fi™,7 the paua shell—and the particular shell he likes is one that sparkles in its mother' of pearl inner surface like the harlequin opal. The best pauas *. are found on the 'Mania Peninsula. It » said they sparkle wonderfully in the aeawater. After satisfying yourself you have a good paua,' you begin to shape it something like, a, small sprat or herring, and you must''take the greatest care to keep the shape.' This finished, you then have to find a piece of plain wire. This you beat out on an anvil, iron or stone j with a hammer, to flatten out about five inches or more. The remaining portion of your wife you bend back to resemble a hook. The flat portion of your hook is laid on the back of your miniature minnow, and securely . fastened with plaited hemp. At the hook end, when tying, it is wise to procure a few penguin feathers of a bluish colour, for the tail of the,"minnow. A small line about three feet hang must be tied on with the wire hook. The line for casting is then tied to this, and coiled neatly round the waist with the end secured about the waist. Oast at the mouth of small tidal rivers on the incoming tide, when 1 the kahawai is after the small herrings. Tha paua minnow is '■ quickly whirled four or five tunes round the head, and ■ then cast seaward, at the same time the small coil in the left hand is released, and the weight of the paua and hook 'straightens . out; the line.., The thrower simply walks leisure!* backwards gradually s gathering in the line in the palm of' his left hand. The kahawai, mistaking the minnow for a shiny sprat, j makes a diesparate: dive for its quarry. I have known Maoris catch two or three hundred each on, the incoming tide. The fish are scaled, cleaned, and! carried'to a Maori hangi,. where they j are steamed for an hour or two. When ] cooked, they" are taken out.of the hangi, and laid out in rows on an improvised staging of/manuka or other material, and left to dry and, harden in .'the sun. This process preserves the fish'for winter food. No pakeha can conceive the hardnees of the, fish after goins» through such a process?. It is really like a piece of. manuka bark. When it. is required for iuse as foody it has to be steamed again,' or boiled. The flavour of the fish is still retained. ; ' ■„■ \ !■,'.■■•• •

MAOMAO.AND HAPUKA. "\ As to.the Maoniao, or blue bream, some Maoris have an idea that this fish migrates; but where, to they do not seem to know; The female' fish takes to deeper water for the winter, and returns to shallower in i November. In February the fish is so'fat that it is very hard to.grill. It is anything from six to fourteen 'inches long, and weighs front,one to four pounds.' The oil that cornea from the fish is very inflammable. In preparation for the fishing, the Maori makes himself a; fish-hook out of small wire, something lige a wharfinger's bale-hook,i the point being bent up towards the straight body of the hook. The bait is tied on to the very point, which is sharp as,a needle. As soon as the fish talces the bait, it is a dead fish, as the simple pointed barb, deftly tugged by the fisherman; inserts itself into the flesh. Crayfish is the, bait, and the fisherman dives for it. First, however, he cleanses' his boat religiously; and studies the heavens, to see if the elements are favourable. If they are, he abstains- 'from food, and makes straightaway for his boat with all his paraphernalia. While launching the boat he, chants a Maori incantation. Ho does no:t forget to take a''few'stones,'some flab, and a waddy, or short baton. The stones are for sinkers. The flax in strips is tied round the stone, so that on completion it lies ia a net*: The idea is

that, if the stone sinker foul .the rocks, a deft pull releases the line, and leaves the sinker at the bottom1 of the sea. Tho ordinary leaden sinker would be lost. The waddy is used for pounding the crayfish into suitable bait,-a, part of which is scattered piecemeal into the waters. The Maomao come to. the surface, and the hooks already baited are lowered over the sjide to depths from a half to two fathoms. It does not take long to fill a sack or two, and then homeward bound for the shore. The Maoris strongly adhere to their o}d custom of grilling (tninutnnu) or steaming this fish, as otherwise the others would leave, they think, their fishing grounds. March and April are the seasons for the hapuku and schnapper (temure). The hapuku have their own particular rocks, and the Maori have their own landmarks for every known ground. Bearings are picked up by aligning hills, mountains, capes, and other physical features of the landscape with one another. A great watchfulness is necessary to prevent drifting from grounds. A degree or two from the proper place may make all the difference in> the number of the catch. Undoubtedly the best bait,is the octopus, but its scarcity militates against its constant use. The hapuku ground is considered tapu by the Maoris. They use the usual'stone sinker, but one much heavier to rush the line to the bottom in the quickest possible time. When it reaches there you await events, the while mumbling some chant to inspire the gods of the sea. Suddenly you will feel a great pull downward towards the bed of the sea. - The line will heave down ones or twice, and then ease up at intervals. Keening the line taut in the left hand, and bending your body well over the boatside, with the right hand extended and ready to insert in the gills, pull the fish to the side of the boat. The gills are firmly gripped, an 3 then the fish may be lifted into the boat. After the hapuku is landed into the boat, it will lie very, still for a while, then it will bang its tail a few times on the bottom of the boat. This is considered a very good omen—the calling up of the whole tribe, of hapukus. .You will hear the old fisherman' saving: " Pohiritia, pohiritja.", '(" Invite them, invite them.-) The scaling of tjie fish is' done with a spade, and the cooking must be done off a tapu ground in a Maori copper only, custom forbidding any other method.' SNARES FOR THE SCHNAPPER. During the months of March, April, and May the seasonable, fish is the. schnapper (temure). - The schnapper is a very common fish in- the waters of New Zealand and Australia., Almost any bait can be used, but crayfish ia by far the best. Mussels come next, and then pipie. The hook ia exactly the same as for hapuku, only much smaller. As yon approach the ground1, it is wise to ascertain the set of the current.. Crayfish pulp is then cast overboard, and, while sinking, gradually drifts towards the grounds. The fisherman then' secures his bearings, and then 'he anchors. The lines are 'quickly baited and the sport commences. The Maori ia quick to distinguish the bite of different fish. Perhaps, after ' a while, the biting cornea at intervals, and the fisherman is aware of the presence, of sharks,' from which the schnapper aire dodging. , The waddy comes in useful for releasing the'hook and for preventing the fish from jumping. A sharp stroke ia Tgiven just above the nose. In June and July come the wharehou and the moki. The wharehou goes in shoals, and plays havoc .with the amall fry, such as herrings and pipers. The preparations the Maori makes to capture the wharehou are, rather complicated. Months and months before the season' commences the fisherman generally hies himself to the bush in search of one or two straight tanehaka rods, commonly known to the Maori as tautara. These found, he beat* the bark off and hangs the rods up in the kitchen to be thoroughly seaioned. He next rides i along some pebbly beach and finds, if possible, some white quartz stone. It 1 must be as near as possible' the shape and size of a bantam s egg. A groove is cut round the stone, so that a small piece of fish line will lie securely in it. To this line he now splices a line at each end with a long splice, leaving loops at both ends. To the bottom loops he attaches a hook, and to that at the top a line, and perhaps another hook. A novice' will find ,one hook quite enough to keep -him on the gui vive. The next item to find is a small forked stick, something in the shape of a prong, such as boys use for catapults. It is generally found at the butt ends of. the manuka. The fisherman then meshes anet on to a hooped supplejack. By the Maori this is called a korapa. He next cuts a long hooked stick for reaching the line at the end of the rod. The butt end of the rod is fastened on the boat seat with a line. The other end projects far out over the gunwale of the boat. A tin matchbox filled with little pebbles is tied very securely at the end of the rod.. Crayfish seems to be the only bait used. The warehou furnishes great sport. A decided drawback in landing the (fish is the tenderness, of its mouth and head. When hooked, he makes a desperate dash, leaping right f out of the water. The little tin box of , pebbles commences to rattle loudly. One ' can imagine the noise of about twelve iof these rods on a boat. The ! must pull the fish in very quickly and ! carefully. This is where the korapa plays its part. He seizes the handle with his right hand, pulls the fish high enough to allow his manoeuvring his korapa right under it and then shovels him into the boat. Any Maori will buy this fish in season for as much aa a pdund. Ten shillings is a common price amongst the Ngatiporou tribe on the East Coast. The warehou and ,the moki are two favourite fish of the tribe, and always command a good price from, the wealthier of the chiefs. . THE SACRED MOKI.

The-moki or paraharaha is a very sacred fish, and the ritual of preparation is very strict. Before proceeding to the fishing ground the fisherman must dive for his crayfish bait, which must be left in the boat, together with the lines, after the boat has been thoroughly, cleansed; If he takes his bait home and brings it down in the morning with his fishing tackle, he will not catch a single moki. He may catch many other varieties,. but the moki will refuse to bite. He must take neither food nor water with him, nor must he even think about food nor mention.it to his mates. His; wife .must not get up in the H morning to hght the fire for cooking purposes.. The ,mother must not under any circumstances suckle, the baby at the breast. These rules ap-, ply to the opening day of the season, attd if they are strictly carried out the fisherman may depend on' catching a good supply right through. I have seen European fishermen with their hampers in the same grounds as,the Maoris, tryillg"'the'ir''tit : , most to draw the attention of the Maoris;' who were hauling- in moki after nioktl The pakehas Vvere catching '■"'schnapper.1 and other kinds of fish only. The best known fishing ground for the mokij, au,d.

a very' sacred one, too, is the Whaiti, at Cape Runaway. The custom allows cooking only in the: Maori copper. In the month's of August, September, and October, 1 the following fish are in season: The tarakihi,' ngature, porae, rawaru or taipua, kehe,jUnd kumukumu (gurnet). For the tarakihi the best bait is certainly the pipi. The pipi should be boiled until it will open just sufficiently to make th? inside hard enough to stick nicely, on the, hooks without tying. Two lines are' generally used, one over each shoulder, and as many as eight or ten hooks are put on each line. The fisherman lowers one of his lines fully baited, and waits for a bite. Then he gives the lino a good tug, drawing his right or left band fully back. The fish caught on the hook, he lets go of the. line again, leaving the single fish to attract its mates. At every haul there are invariably nine fish hooked.

The kehc, or leopard fish, so called from its strips and spots, lives' entirely on seaweed, frequenting the'rbcks,'never to be found in deep water. Its'chief food is the kind of seaweed, called parengo by' the Maoris, who esteem it a great delic-, acy. It, generally .grows on papa rocks between the water-marks of the tides. , The kehe comes in with the tide, and riding a breaker is lifted to the rock, where it takes a bite of the seaweed, and hangs on until the wash recedes. The fish dis- ' plays marvellous instinct in choosing the i best wave to carry them to their food. , The Maoris catch them by a net shaped i like a large egg, with a long pole for a handle. The fishermen work in pairs, one poking the rocks with-a pole to drive the fish out, and the other waiting with the net to catch them. When boiled the flesh is very palatable, and the skin is like that of a young sucking pjg. The seaweed, or parengo, is preserved by the I Maori women fox food. In, July they may be seen with packhorses plucking i this weed off the rocks and carrying it inland to the pa. It is- then spread out on calico flys to dry, and when dried put away in bags for food for a rain* day. When required some is taken- out of the bag, and put into a dish or basin to be steamed or baked in the' oven. After' half an hour'hot water is poured over this, and a little pepper and salt added. No cabbage in creation can beat it. TRAPS. FOR EELS. There are two kidds of fiab'remaining which are great "favourites ' with the Maori—the eel' and' the "crayfish. The i three' principal varieties are the mata- , moe, 'the "paewai, and the 'ttmawhero. The matamoe is a swamp eel, "black with a silvery belly, rather sweet in flavour, but with flesh, rather difficult'to sever from the bones. The paewai, an eel of enormous size, lives'in deep boles under waterfalls, and' there' are some that never come to the surface—* fact well known to the Maoris in the Motu district between Cisborne and Opotiki. The tunawhero, or red-skinned'eel,1 lives in tidal waters. The Maoris have several methods oi capturing "the eel, as: (1) With an eel pot'(hinaki)';' (2). with worms (toi); (3) seeking', in mud '.(rapu);., (4J spearing (pia)j (6) jagging by torchlight (rama). • The'eel pot is made b^ plaiting the aka,' a/pliable" vin*,: about, a.frame work of manuka Tods. While working every strip of the aka must' he" kept in" water to prevent splitting. To make the hinaki two sticks, four feet apart, are driven , into-the ground and round them the f ake is plaited, with one stick of manuka ' added at each turn of, the plait at right angles. The shape when finished is something ' like 'a' .bird Wye' view of a iteanier" in dock'or a" Zeppelin', airship. The network is sewn about supplejack hoops and finally comes out like a torpedo. A triangular network/ forms the best where the eels enter, the appearance being like a gramophone1 horn. A trapdoor for emptying the eels out is made at the head of the pot, and the pot is completed. v To bait the hinaki one must dig for worms.' These are of two.kinds, te waiu and mawhitiwhiti. The latter is, the better worm for eels, because it is tougher than the waiu, which is white, milky, and very soft. The worms must be sewn on strings about" two 'feet long —two' or three worms ,ro 'one string—in the middle with about six inches of string' at each end. Three or four of these threaded strings are 'then doubled over and tied together to make a "bob." The pot is' then set^-if in a running 1 stream, the base pointing down stream. The remainder of the threaded worms I are used for "bobbing" with the aid of a long manuka 'stick, held as one would ' a pen. When the eels give a pull, the hand is raised to the fullest extent and the eel hanging on to the "bob" of I worms is swung ashore and knocked on • the head with a stick. The hinaki, in due'time is' pulled ashore and emptied iof its contents through the trapdoor. It 'is then set again in some other place 1 till early morning, when you must go and get it. ' In fossicking in muddy swamps, one has to wade through mud up "to the knees, You can feel the eels through, your feet * and drag one up through " the mud and bag it., For spearing eels by torch, dry rimu with, gum'^running through' it makes the best torch. The' wood jm\ split up into long strips, and bundled together. Spearing is done in pairs-^-one man carrying the torch and 'the other a fishhook' projecting from a long stick. When a ray of light shines over theni, 'the eels lie dormant in the water, and it i» then a simple matter to jag them. 'i

CATCHING CRAYFISH. There are several ways of catching crayfish, and the most popular ariong the Maoris are diving and using the1 pot (taruke). Spearing,and bobbing are also often used. The making of a crayfish pot is an elaborate process. Small straight sticks of manuka are base—about 120 of them would suffice for a handy crayfish pot. Two stoutish sticks are tied in the centre to form a cross, supplejack hoop* —ten, twenty, and twenty-nine inches in diameter—are placed on the cross, the smallest in the middle and the largest on the edge to form a sort of spider's web, The network is continued, and then the ends of the manuka sticks 'are tied together, the hoops bound in with aka, the manuka sticks fastened ,to the hoops leaving a fair-sized opening at the top A flax net is then meshed to fit .over this opening, and extends well inside the pot. This is where the crayfish^ enters the taruke. Two long sticks are secured aa a stay to prevent the taruke from bulging in, and to the sticks is tied the bait on top of the pot. The crayfish enter* the upper opening, of the funnel shaped net, and passing through the smaller aperture becomes a prisoner in the pot. Three pieces of tonama wood—the light, est of New Zealand timber and something like cork—are tied to a rope 'to act as buoys, and the pot can so be easily picked up m the early morning. During the day you will' find crayfish under rocks, ana xvhen the' tide is low men and women go on with their kit* and drop down into the water among the seaweed. Tho'water'is up to the armpits, the leg is extended and works'backward and forward under the rocks 'until it cornea in contact with a crayfish. The fisherman ithen dives and. the- crayfish backs itself into a crevice. Yrju'then get hold of the feelers with one baud and slip the other as far as possible to the centre of the crayfish's back. , A firm grip' is required to release its claws Spearing is also good sport, and a simple method for Europeans and novices.. Bobbing is dona with a forked v ,manuk t i stick,,,with the bait —meat, fish, etc —tied auoss tho fork, at 'rlight with a lhnlenj'"At lon, tide you; hio joureelt to'the rofks and lower your bob among the seaweed .Teikv tugs follow and jo'i pull up the cia^rbh slowly until iit.ii the smi.irc, then jerk ill 'ashoifii—■Bi. Taniatt H. Po*t»i