Fishing Rod, Line, Sinker, etc.
date: label: Accession Date
content: 1880
name: label: Donor Name
content: Edward W. Nelson
notes: label: Notes
content: FROM CARD: "45439-40. FOR TOM COD SKULLFINS & C. #45439 - PEABODY MUS. ." FROM CARD: "45440. FOR TOM COD SKULLFINS & C. 1/83 SITES INUA LOAN. ONE ARTIFACT WAS LENT TO ALASKA STATE MUSEUM IDENTIFIED INCORRECTLY AS #45440. IT IS REALLY 44402. THE REAL 45440 IS THE PIECE LENT FOR SITES INUA." "LOAN: U.S.I.A. INUA JUN 24 1988 ILLUS.: INUA CATALOGUE USIA 1988, Pl. 45, p.34 LOAN RETURNED DEC 28 1990"
label: Notes
content: This object is on loan to the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center, from 2010 through 2027.
label: Notes
content: Source of the information below: Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center Alaska Native Collections: Sharing Knowledge website, by Aron Crowell, entry on this artifact https://alaska.si.edu/record.asp?id=104 , retrieved 11-25-2021; see web page for additional information: Fishing gear, Inupiaq. Ice fishing for tomcod, trout, lingcod, and sculpin remains important in the Inupiaq region, although the equipment has changed. This is a traditional fishing rod, with baleen line wrapped between notches on the ends of the stick. Attached to the line are a heavy ivory sinker, a beaded leader, and a sculpin hook crafted from attractive pieces of colored stone. During the late fall, winter, and spring, people traditionally fished for tomcod, grayling, trout, lingcod, and other species through holes in the ice, using a rod and line with a hook. They used an ice scoop with a netted bottom to keep the hole clear of slush and ice chunks. Ice fishing was often done by older men, women and children. Ice-fishing gear included a short rod, long line, sinker and hook. The rod was notched at the ends for letting out and winding up the line. An ivory or bone guide for the line was fastened at one end. The rod was held in one hand and a stick for maneuvering the line was held in the other. The line was made from baleen, sinew, sealskin or quill. The leader for the sinker and hook was also made from these materials. Baleen was chosen as a leader because ice did not form on it. An oval sinker of bone, stone or ivory was attached to the leader by holes at each end. The shank of the hook was made from bone or ivory with a hole at the top where it was attached with line to the sinker. Holes were also made at the bottom of the shank for inserting metal hooks. Earlier hooks were made from bone. Tomcod hooks were not baited-the fish nibbled at the shank and were hooked with an up-and-down movement of the line (jigging).
label: Record Last Modified
content: 31 Jan 2022
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Cape Nome, Norton Sound, Alaska, United States, North America
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Eskimo, Inupiaq
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 80A00050
label: USNM Number
content: E45440-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Fishing Tackle