The Lamprey, and How it was Taken

We have another form of weir to examine ere passing on to the small-fry of the realm of Tangaroa, and this one pertains to the taking of the lamprey (Geotria chilensis). This creature is known to the Maori as pipiharau, piharau, pihapiharau, korokoro, kanakana, nganangana. The fourth name is heard on the eastern coast of the North Island. Kanakana is a South Island name for it; while Williams's Maori Dictionary gives puhikorokoro as a large lamprey. A Whanganui native stated that when the lamprey reaches the head-waters of the Whanganui River its head increases in size and looks disproportionate to the size of its body. In this condition the fish is not fit for food purposes: "Kaore e pai hei kai, ka kawitiwiti te tangata, he kino." As to the name whiwhirau, I cannot say as to whether it was applied to the lamprey or denoted some other fish.

The lamprey enters the rivers and ascends them in autumn, and the Maori says, "When Matariki [the Pleiades] appears, then the koro-koro is seen by man." A South Island native states that lampreys pass up the rivers in three or four different shoals each year. Like the grayling (upokororo), the lamprey seems to have much decreased in numbers during the past fifty years. They were formerly numerous each season in the rivers of Canterbury, but our informant has not seen any there for many years. A few have been seen of late years in the Mangaone Creek at Te Horo, and in the "sixties" we used to see a few in the Kenepuru Stream at Porirua.

The Rev. R. Taylor tells us that deaths from a surfeit of lampreys were "far from being uncommon," and remarks that "it ascends the rivers to their very source, and then the head grows to an unnatural size, when it is said to be unwholesome and is not eaten."

Several methods were adopted by the Maori for taking the lamprey, and of these the most important was the utu piharau, or lamprey-weir. Wakefield styles this weir hutu, these names having been collected in the Whanganui and Wai-totara districts. So careless are the page 190natives of these parts in their ren dering of the letter h that I am not sure as to whether the name should be written as utu or hutu. The weir seen by Wakefield at Wai-totara was a pa tauremu, or V-shaped one, which is intended for taking fish as they come down-stream, whereas the lamprey is taken as it proceeds up-stream. The lamprey-weirs erected in the Whanganui district are not V-shaped, but simply straight barriers built out from the river-bank at right angles to its course. Wakefield's remarks anent the above-mentioned weir at Wai-totara are as follows: "About one hundred yards above Te Ihu-puku, a strong and well-made fishing-weir stretched across the river, only two or three small passages being left for canoes. This, they told me, was for catching the piharau, a fine sort of lamprey which is taken in abundance in this and the neighbouring rivers during freshets. The weir is called hutu by the natives. They place eel-pots, called hinaki, which are very artistically made, at the lower extremity of funnels formed by series of upright poles driven into the bed of the river, the interstices being filled up with fern."

This describes the V-shaped weir designed for taking fish moving down-stream. Natives would not build such a weir for taking lampreys or eels ascending a stream. That V-shaped weir was built for taking eels as they came down-stream. The V-shaped weir with page 191 page 192 open apex down-stream would be of little service in taking fish going up-stream; the converging wings are meant to guide them into net and pot as they move down-stream.

The fact that the lamprey when ascending streams keeps in near the banks to avoid the swifter mid-stream current led the Maori to erect his weirs near the banks only, and so leaving the mid-river current free. This was the practice on the Whanganui River. This form of weir I have not seen or heard of in other places; it may or may not have been used elsewhere. The fact that these lamprey-weirs, unlike the pa tauremu and pa auroa, were built at right angles to the current called for very careful and thorough work in erection. The weir-fences could be made to stand the mighty sweep of flood-waters only by the fixing of many stalwart struts and braces. The illustrations will serve to explain the construction of such weirs better than a written description.

When watching two natives engaged in erecting a lamprey-weir at Hiruharama, on the Whanganui River, a few notes were taken of the mode of procedure. The straight weir-fence was 35 ft. in length, and extended out from the bank of the river at right angles. The pou, or posts of the fe ce, were round trunks of kopuka (white manuka), some 4 in. in diameter, and all other timber material was of the same species. The pou were set vertically, and driven down into the hard-packed river-bed by means of punching with heavy wooden mauls—page 193not the iron-ringed European beetle, but the old-time Maori homemade ta. These heavy clubs are hewn out of a piece of hardwood, a cross-grained root being prized for the purpose. The specimens seen at Hiruharama were of rata. They are superior to our flat-faced mauls for driving stakes, inasmuch as they are not so liable to split them. This is owing to the fact that the middle of the face of the club is hollowed out to receive the head of the stake when the blow is delivered.

When firmly embedded, the pou were about 5 ft. in height, and some 3 ft. to 4ft. apart. On the down-stream side of these posts were secured two stout sapling rails of about the same thickness as the posts. The aspect of the weir at this stage of its erection is that of a two-rail fence. The whole fabric of such a weir is lashed together, the lashing material consisting of the stems of climbing-plants. In the case of the weir being described the split stems of supplejack were used for the purpose. This material is not durable; but, then, it was always necessary to renovate fish-weirs each succeeding season. In some cases weirs were provided with three horizontal rails.

The most important part of the task of erecting such a weir-fence is the bracing of the structure. Two series of struts were placed on the down-stream side, secured to the two rails and set firmly in the river-bed. On the up-stream side were secured a number of holding-braces. These backstays are known as kumekume, while the down-stream struts are known as noko, and the rails as huahua. One end of each kumekume is lashed to a pou about 3 ft. from the river-bed, while the up-stream end is secured to one of the firmly-driven pegs that confine the scour-mat. This latter is another highly necessary feature of our weir, as it prevents the scouring-out of the river-bed, to the detriment of the weir. In the case under discussion this scour-mat (whariki) extended for about 25 ft. on the up-stream side of the fence and some 6 ft. on its down-stream side. The extent of ground so covered differs according to the nature of the river-bed; in many cases it is extended farther on the down-stream side owing to the scouring tendencies of the confined waters rushing through the narrow outlets. The mat is composed of manuka brush of straight growth, a layer of which is arranged on the river-bed and extends from the river-bank outward to the kaiau, or outermost spot of the fence. The closely-laid brush is laid parallel with the water-flow, and across it at right angles are laid series of containing-poles, termed karapi. These are hard-gripped and held down by a series of crossed pegs driven X-wise into the river-bed, so as to ride and confine the karapi. Stout lashings render these pegs and containing-poles quite stable.

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The fence barrier is then completed by means of securing lengths of kopuka (white manuka) poles in a vertical position between the pou, or posts, on the up-stream side of the rails, and worked in with these poles is a quantity of manuka brush. This barrier of brush and poles is styled the pawai. In this closely-made barrier are left, at regular intervals, openings termed ngutu, and when a freshet comes down it is through these openings that a fierce rush of spate water passes, and immediately below them the lead-nets and lamprey-pots are placed. Be it observed that the aim of builders of lamprey-weirs is ever to construct them during low-water stage and then await the autumn freshets. Thus one may see them constructed on a dry part of a river-bed, as in the case of the one at Hiruharama.

In constructing weirs for the purpose of taking eels as they travel down-stream the problem is a comparatively easy one. In the case of the lamprey migration, however, the Maori had to deal with an up-stream movement. Now, for several reasons it is inadvisable to set the pots at a weir facing down-stream, but fish moving up-stream are to be forced into a trap facing in the same direction. The manner in which this is effected is extremely simple, and the compelling force is the swift rush of turbulent waters. The diagram given serves to illustrate the method employed. A marks the ngutu, or outlet through which the migrating fish will attempt to pass. B, B are two posts securely fixed a little way down-stream from the outlet, and to these are secured on the up-stream side two horizontal bars. A funnel-shaped net C is put in position here as shown. The large mouth of the net (poha) is distended by means of a stout circular hoop, and this hoop is slipped between the horizontals so that the upper and lower parts of it rest against the up-stream side of the cross-pieces. To the small lower end of the net the trap (hinaki piharau) is secured, and any fish entering the lead-net will be swept directly into the trap D.

The space between the posts B, B and the weir-fence is left unobstructed for the passage of the lampreys. Now, when in their passage up-stream they encounter the obstruction of the weir-fence as they pass along it in order to find a passage whereby to continue their journey. On reaching one of the outlets and endeavouring to pass through it they are caught in the full force of the rushing waters, and so swept down into the funnel-net and into the lamprey-pot attached to it.

The lamprey pots or traps are smaller than the larger-sized hinaki used for eels, being from 2ft. to 2½ft. in length. Two measured at Whanganui were each 2 ft. 4 in. in length. In that district they page 195 are usually made of aka-kiekie, the aerial roots of Freycinetia Banksii, a forest climbing-plant, the same being a durable material. These slim, pliant roots are first drawn through between the tightly compressed halves of a split supplejack in order that the bark of the roots may be stripped off. They are then split down the middle with precision and placed in water to retain their pliancy until required by the trap-maker. The hoops employed to distend the trap, to act as a frame, are of aka-tea (Metrosideros scandens) or aka-tororaro (syn. aka-torotoro). The kiekie roots are employed both as longitudinals and cross-lacing material. The manufacture of the trap is commenced at the inner end of the akura, or funnel entrance, as in the case of the eel-trap. The aka-tororaro is sometimes used for longitudinals. No interior net was fixed to the inner end of the funnel entrances of the traps examined, but the longitudinals were left projecting, so as to block the escape of the entrapped fish. These lamprey-weirs were usually erected in March, but the building of the one seen at Hiruharama was not commenced until April. While staying at the village rain came on, and next day we saw 6ft. of flood-waters flowing over the site of the uncompleted weir.

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In vol. 50 of the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute Mr. T. W. Downes tells us that lampreys ascend the rivers during the months of May, June, and July; sometimes in August. When they return to the sea in October and November they have a very soft skin. They are taken only during freshets, when moving upstream.

The expression whakaparu piharau denotes a form of weir composed of stones lined with fern and grass for taking lampreys, while whakapua describes a kind of mat of bracken laid down on a river-bed for the same purpose. Mr. Downes mentions the latter under the name of whakarau. This was a Whanganui usage, and the mat is a portable one, pegged down on the bed of the stream. It is made by tying or lacing the bracken together, and the lampreys seek shelter in it, whereupon the mat is rolled up and taken ashore.

In an article contributed to the Northlander Mr. H. M. Stowell (Hare Hongi) maintains that a shoal of lampreys when ascending a river has two scouts out in advance to explore the way. He remarks, "There is a leader that swims 50 yards ahead of the main body, and a sub-leader that swims some 20 yards behind the first, and before the main body…. I know of an instance where a shoal of lampreys took to the bank and wriggled up it, and so passed an insuperable waterfall. These were preceded, as in the water, by their two leaders, who, so long as they kept ahead, were followed by the main body. Always when the leaders met with an apparently impossible obstacle they fell back on the main body, as if to discuss matters, seeing that, as a result of such discussion, a definite plan of progress was decided upon. Knowing of these inherent habits and practices of the lamprey, the Maori set to work to trap them by shoals." Mr. Stowell then describes the methods of weir-building and trapping, which are much the same as those already described, except in one particular. He states that the natives knew when to expect the lamprey-run, and that, as the time drew near, two men, armed with three-tined fish-spears, were stationed just below the weir to intercept and spear the two scouts of the approaching shoal. Should they succeed in so doing, then the shoal would come on with confidence and attempt to pass up the water-race, only to be swept down into the trap.

Mauri, or talismanic objects, were employed in connection with lamprey-weirs just as they were at the eel-weirs described above.

In 1912 I was told that but few lampreys now ascend the Otaki River. About Wellington they are apparently almost unknown, and some years ago one was brought into the Dominion Museum as an unknown fish.

Corfs used for lampreys are similar to those used for eels in the Whanganui district, and are called korotete.

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The following was taken from the Wellington Dominion of the 20th May, 1927:—

The first week of April last saw the tuna heke, when the nine varieties of eels went down all the North Island rivers to the sea, the first stage of the long journey to the great Pacific deep off the Kermadec Islands, there to spawn and die (states an exchange). Now is the season of the piharau, perhaps better known to the pakeha as the lamprey, the tiny eel, born in ocean depth, returning with unerring instinct to the stream that its parents came down. In countless millions the piharau are now beginning to ascend the rivers in the Wanganui and Taranaki districts, and the natives have been busy for weeks past placing bunches of fern in the streams. It is here that the piharau rests, clinging to the vegetation with their sucker-like mouths, and they are easily captured in large quantities. Even waterfalls fail to stay the progress of the piharau. At the Ohura Falls, on a tributary of the Wanganui River, the piharau work their way through the wet moss up an almost vertical wall. The natives brush them off with a wisp of fern or nikau leaf, and during the run of the fish the filling of a bucket is quite a simple matter.

It does not appear to be a settled question, this breeding-ground of our New Zealand eels.