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The only recorded history of fishing in the local area is a video made in the fall of 1986. In this video you can watch and learn how the local Shuswap native bands have fished locally since time immemorial. This video was made on the Shuswap River near Hupel.

The people that were on sight helping to teach, and the people learning how to fish, were local natives of the Spallumcheen Band. The person who was teaching how to fish the traditional way was an elder of the local native band: Casimir Felix. The people learning how to fish were also members of the local Indian band : Lawrence Lee (chief of the local band), Cass Felix, Paul Lee, James Bell and Noel Lee. There were others present at the time, but they were making the video from shore and watching the fish being caught.

In the video it shows how the fish, mostly salmon, are caught and cleaned. It also demonstrates which parts of the fish are saved for eating and compares the female and male salmon. The video shows how to catch the fish in the traditional native way.

The traditional way fishing was done locally was with a spear. This spear was first thrust into the fish and pulled out. Once pulled, the harpoon is through the fish and all you have to do is retrieve the harpoon and the fish will be captured. Then, after the fish is caught you drag the fish into shore.

With fishing, there are different seasons for each type of fish. In the spring, people usually fish for trout. These trout were usually caught with traps set in creeks. During the summer, people usually fished for spring salmon. This type of salmon is very large and is easier to catch with a spear than with other methods. In late summer, the sockeye and coho salmon make their way up the river system. Locally these types of salmon are usually caught by spear. Once the fish are caught, they are given first to elders and people who cannot fish for themselves.

There are several methods of catching salmon. There is the spearing method, traps, and pit lamping. Pit lamping is fishing from the boat with a fire made from non-crackling wood. The fishing is done at night. In the Fraser Valley, fishing for salmon on the Fraser River is done by gill netting.

There are several places the local Shuswap have used traditionally for fishing. The place most often used for fishing is on the Shuswap River near Hupel. This location is a part where the river is very wide and shallow, making it ideal for spearing. If you were to spear a large salmon in deeper water you would probably end up being pulled into the water and maybe even losing your spear or your life.

Another location that was often used by the local native band was in Sicamous. The method of fishing used in this location was a large weir fence, which spanned across the whole river. This was located near the present Sicamous boating marina.

Another way of fishing was to use a fire pit by the river. This trap was set up by digging a pit by the river. The natives made sure there was water in the pit. After the pit was dug up, a huge bonfire was made on the side of the river opposite to the pit.

When everything was ready, the bonfire was lit at night and the fish would be attracted to the light. Once the fish were attracted to the light, they would jump towards the light. When the fish jumped towards the light, they would leap into the pit and be caught in the pit. After being in the pit all night, the fish would be taken out of the pit later in the morning to be cleaned and preserved.

There are several ways of preserving the fish. The fish can be dried or smoked. Now people are able to freeze or can fish. The traditional way of preserving the fish is to dry or smoke it.

Being a Native Indian myself, and having tried most of these methods of fishing, I have enjoyed all the time I have spent fishing. I have also enjoyed all of my time that I have spent on learning all of the traditional ways of obtaining food, especially fishing.

Paul Lee
ALF School 1989