Gig and Gorge

The gig is a salmon spear adapted specially for fishing in the Northwest rivers. The gig was used in fast moving water, even waterfalls, and was thrown with enough force to pierce a salmon completely though. The reversed hooks at the tip of each prong prevented the salmon from slipping off the spear. The butt-end of the gig was connected to rope sometimes or was long enough to be used from the banks of a river.

The gorge is a type of fishing lure. It is set on a fishing line and used from a weir or a canoe. The salmon bites the lure and chokes on the gorge and the fisherman hauls the fish to shore. The gorge was usually made out of bone, but occassionally wood was used when bone was not available.

This page was developed by Michaela and Saleshni. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at (Note: this link is no longer functional). Thanks for looking at our page.

Return to the main page.