Zhenia Tarlin on the Use of Fish Traps

„“When I still lived here, I would always set a fish trap in the Tapri River. When the rivers freeze, the Tapri River also freezes. Then I would set up two more traps. I built the traps from wood. For that, I felled a larch tree — a very straight-growing larch. Then you have to saw it up. You check whether it’s straight enough. After that, you split the trunk with a wedge. I split it using two or three wedges, then I cut the slats. First I cut the slats, then I collect the roots — Siberian pine roots. I take the roots of the Siberian pine, split and peel them. Then I clean the roots and start weaving the trap.

When I lived here, I wove six fish traps. I took two of them to the Tapri River and set them in the water. I caught ide and pike. Then I pulled my traps out of the water and brought them near the spruce forest. I did that on purpose, because I wanted to put them back into the river later. At the beginning of spring, I planned to return to the traps and put them back into the water. But when I arrived, someone had already taken them using a snowmobile. There were snowmobile tracks heading north along the road. It must have been Russians — they had taken my traps. After that, I didn’t set up any more. If I set something up again in the fall, I’ll bring a trap with me. I’ll need a different kind of trap. I think I’ll make it from netting. I made six traps. Yes, that’s how it was.”

Recorded by Stephan Dudeck, Kazym, 2021.