The Indigenous Peoples of Puget Sound, Salish of the Middle Columbia River, Nootka (Nuu-chah-nulth) of Vancouver Island, Kootenai and Tlingit, are reported to have eaten wolf-eel, catching the fish with straight-shanked angled hooks and/or gorges [1-5]. Indigenous Peoples of Puget Sound caught wolf-eel with a hook attached to a line. The hook was a bone splinter sharpened at both ends and was attached at the middle to the line. The device was baited, placed in the water and when the eel swallowed the bait, the fisherman tugged on the line, causing the splinter to lodge crosswise in the eel’s throat [3]. Middle Columbia River Salish used willow dip nets [5].

References

1.         Arima E, Dewhirst J: Nootkans of Vancouver Island. In: Handbook of North American Indians, Volume 7: Northwest Coast. edn. Edited by Suttles W. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution; 1990: 391-397.

2.         Ravenhill A: Chief Sources of Food Supply. In: The native tribes of British Columbia. edn. Victoria: King's Printer; 1938: 71-77.

3.         Waterman TT: Hunting Implements, Nets and Traps. In: Inidan Notes and Monographs No 59 Notes on the Ethonology of the Indians of Puget Sound. edn. New York. Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation.: J.J. Augustin, Gluckstadt, Germany.; 1973.

4.         Emmons GT: Food and Its preparation. In: The Tlingit Indians. edn. Edited by de Laguna F. New York: American Museum of Natural History; 1991: 140-153.

5.         Miller J: Middle Columbia River Salishans. In: Handbook of North American Indians, Volume 12: Plateau. edn. Edited by Walker DE, Jr. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution; 1998: 253-270.