Traditional Fishing Tools: Fishing Traps
Most basket traps worked in conjunction with a weir (a fence like structure on either side of the trap). Two converging weirs might be positioned to form a V-shape that funneled migrating fish into the trap. Once inside the trap, it was difficult for a fish to find the small opening and escape, especially since that opening was narrowed by a cone of inward-pointing sharpened sticks. Click below to see how the trap works.
Traditional Interior Salish fish trap constructed of willow. The trap was placed in the middle of a small stream, and passage down the river on either side of the trap was blocked by a weir, also constructed of willow.
Kootenai (Tobacco Plains) fish trap model made from wood, hide, and bark. Photo courtesy American Museum of Natural History. © 2008. All rights reseerved.
Model of a traditional Salish fish trap constructed of sandbar willow (Salix exigua) by Salish and Kootenai tribal member, Tim Ryan. This photo shows the mouth of the trap. Once the fish enter, the sharp cone of sticks pointing inward prevent them from exiting.
Interior Salish fish weir and dip net. The weir blocked fish passage (often they were erected during spawning migrations), and the fish gathered in front of the weir were either caught in traps placed within the weir or scooped up with a dip net, or they were speared.
This drawing by Meriwether Lewis in 1805, shows how the Lemhi Shoshone placed their fish weirs and traps in a stream. This placement caught fish moving upstream as well as downstream. The aboriginal territory of the Lemhi Shoshone bordered that of the Salish and Pend d'Oreille.
A model of a Kootenai (Tobacco Plains) open fish trap made from wood, hide, and bark. Photo courtesy American Museum of Natural History. © 2008. All rights reseerved.
Traditional Fishing Tools: Fishing Traps
Most basket traps worked in conjunction with a weir (a fence like structure on either side of the trap). Two converging weirs might be positioned to form a V-shape that funneled migrating fish into the trap. Once inside the trap, it was difficult for a fish to find the small opening and escape, especially since that opening was narrowed by a cone of inward-pointing sharpened sticks. Click below to see how the trap works.
Traditional Interior Salish fish trap constructed of willow. The trap was placed in the middle of a small stream, and passage down the river on either side of the trap was blocked by a weir, also constructed of willow.
Kootenai (Tobacco Plains) fish trap model made from wood, hide, and bark. Photo courtesy American Museum of Natural History. © 2008. All rights reseerved.
Model of a traditional Salish fish trap constructed of sandbar willow (Salix exigua) by Salish and Kootenai tribal member, Tim Ryan. This photo shows the mouth of the trap. Once the fish enter, the sharp cone of sticks pointing inward prevent them from exiting.
Interior Salish fish weir and dip net. The weir blocked fish passage (often they were erected during spawning migrations), and the fish gathered in front of the weir were either caught in traps placed within the weir or scooped up with a dip net, or they were speared.
This drawing by Meriwether Lewis in 1805, shows how the Lemhi Shoshone placed their fish weirs and traps in a stream. This placement caught fish moving upstream as well as downstream. The aboriginal territory of the Lemhi Shoshone bordered that of the Salish and Pend d'Oreille.
A model of a Kootenai (Tobacco Plains) open fish trap made from wood, hide, and bark. Photo courtesy American Museum of Natural History. © 2008. All rights reseerved.