Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-31
Zailn = eagle
HOW THE JAPS FISH.
CATCHING THE FINNY TRIBE BY
MEANS OF TRAINED CoMORANTS.

A Trip Up the River in tho Korio Marn.
Pleasant but Queer Craft-Great
Skill Required in Handling the Big
Birds-A Sport That Is Exciting.
Gifu is the place to 60 to If you care to see
in all its perfection one of the Oldest extant
forms OF piscatory craft. To see the fishing
at all you must be there between May and
October, which are the limits Of the season.
10 see 1t to full advantage you should choose
tune when the river is free from turbidity
and when there is no moonfght-the darker
the night the better. Further, if you are
wise, you will take care to see it after the
manner Of the country and in the company
of pleasant party of Japanese. That Is how
saw it, and what / saw / now proceed to
tell
1t was but short drive from our inn at
Gifu to the riverside tea house that served as
the real starting point Of the expedition. En-
barking there after nightfall in a roomy
pleasure barge, we set off on an up stream
voyage, in which our craft was alternately
poled and towed over the shoals and rapids
of the wide and shallow Nagaragawa- Out
side the night was darkness itself and pro-
foundry still.
THE PARAPHERNAIIA.
After perhaps an hour of struggle up
stream the barge is brought to rest at a con-
venient place in mid channel, there to await
the arrival of the cormorant fishers we have
come to see
Presently the first sign is detected-a spot
of hazy red glow, shining over the trees from
reach two or three miles above u.s. Here
upon our chief boatman erects his private
sigual-a mighty paper lantern of red and
white basket pattern Steadily the glow
spreads and deepens until, as the last inter
vening point is cleared, we descry its cause
a constellation of shifting, Pickering lights,
drifting down the dark river toward us. By
degrees these develop into balls of fire, seven
in number, casting as many long corusca-
tons Of light before them from their reGec-
ton in the waters of the stream. The fires
we now see are great cages of blazing pine
knots suspended over the bow of each boat,
dartmg forth flames and sparks, and forever
dropping embers, which fall with loud hiss
ing into the stream. Nearer still they come
The men have seen our signal and are ma
neuverlng so as to surround US, which being
done. we find ourselves in the midst of all
the uproar and excitement Of cormorant
fishing a La Japonaise.
Now to describe the sport. There are, to
begin with, four men in each of the seven
boats, one of whom, at the stern, has no duty
but that of managing his craft In the bow
stands the master, distinguished by the pc
culiar hat of his rank and handling no fewer
than twelve trained birds with the s,Irpass-
ing skin and GOODNESS that have earned for
the sportsmen of Gifu their unrivaled pre-
eminence Amidships is another fisher, of
the second grade, who handles four birds
only. Between them is the fourth man,
called kako, from the bamboo striking in
stTument of that name with which he makes
the chatter necessary for keeping the birds up
to their work He also encourages them by
shouts and cries, looks after spare apparatus,
ETC., and is ready to give aid if required
Each cormorant wears at the base of its
neck metal ring, drawn tight enough to
prevent marketable fish from passing below
it, but at the same time loose enough, for it
is never removed, TO admit the smaller prey,
which serves as food. Round the body is
cord, having attached TO it at the middle of
the back short strip of stiffish whalebone,
by which the great, awkward bird may be
conveniently lowered into the water or lifted
out when at work; and to this whalebone is
looped a thin rein of spruce fiber, twelve feet
minimize the chances of ENHANCEMENT.
TIE FISHING.
When the fishing ground is reached the
master lowers his twelve birds one by one
into the stream, and gathers their reins into
his left hand, manipulating the latter there
after as occasion requires; No. 2 does the
same with his four birds; the kako starts in
with his volleys of noise, and forthwith the
cormorants set TO at their work in the hear
test and jolliest way, diving and ducking
with wonderful swiftness the astonished
fish come fiocbing toward the blaze of light.
The master Is now the busiest OF men he
must handle MS twelve strings SO deity that,
let the birds dash hither and thither as they
will, there shall be no impeachment OF fouling.
He must have his eyes everywhere ana his
hands following his eyes, Specially must he
watch for the moment when any of his flock
Is gorged-a fact generally made known by
the bird itself, which then swims about in a
foolish, helpless way, with its head and swol-
len neck erect Thereupon the master,
shortening In on that bird, lifts it aboard,
forces its bill open with his left hand which
still holds the rest of the lines, squeezes out
the fish with his right, and starts the crea-
Jure out on a fresh foray-all this with such
admirable dexterity and quickness that the
eleven birds still busting about have scarce
time to get things into a tangle and in an
other moment the tesm is again perfectly in
hand
As for the cormorants, they are trained
when quite young, being caught in winter
with bird lime on the coasts OF the eighboring
Dwarf gulf, at their first immigration south
ward from the summer haunts Of the species
on the northern seaboard of Japan. Once
trained they work we'll up to Is, often up to
10 or % years of age; and, though their keep
in winter bears hardly on the masters, they
are very precious and profitable hunters dur
ing the five months season and well deserve
the great care that is lavished upon them |
From four TO eight good sized fish, for ex-
ample, is the fair result of a single excursion !
for one bird, which corresponds with an
average of about $50 fish per cormorant |
per hour, or $50 for the three hours occupied |
drifting down the whole course. Every bird |
in flock has and knows its number; and
one of the funniest things about them is the |
Quick wittei jealousy with which they inva- |