Fishing style "Kuyuur" is an ancient way of fishing in the spring for carp in shallow lakes.
We are the only tourist company in Yakutia, which for many years organizes Kuyuur in the lakes of Yakutia
"Kuyuur is a special way of catching lake fish: crucian carp is inherent only to the Sakha people. None of the peoples of the world have this type of fishing. Kuyuur is widespread in central Yakutia, where there are many small lakes that freeze to the bottom.
The fish is caught with a specially made hoop called kuoya. "A wooden hoop in our time is made by only a few. Mostly fr om plastic or metal. In the old days it was made of wood: in the very cold, larch was cut down. They chose a strong, thin-layer part of the wood, evaporated and bent the rim. Kuoya is passed fr om generation to generation. Who and when it was made - it is not known.The net is now made from a finished net, and earlier it was woven from horsehair.
The hole is cut with ice picks, and this work is the most laborious. Here it should be taken into account that by the spring the thickness of ice in the lakes can reach up to one and a half meters. A fisherman cuts 3-5 holes per day - it depends on the knowledge of the lake. The place for the ice hole is chosen visually: wh ere there is a fall of ice, there may be a hole wh ere fish has accumulated. With the right choice, sometimes the hole is immediately filled with fish.
Next, Kuyuur is immersed in the finished ice-hole. They put it in a long handle (manki) and a board, which is commonly called a tuyere. Turey is installed on the surface of the ice so that the hole drilled on it remains motionless in the very middle of the ice hole. All preparations are now ready. Having stepped on the end of the tuyere with one foot, the fisherman takes on the decoys. Raises it so that the Kuyuur below does not touch the bottom. Then he begins to make a rotational movement. Feeling the weight of the tackle, the kuyuursik abruptly stops rotating and with a dexterous movement pulls it out. But skill is needed. It is not uncommon for beginners to pull out an empty Kuyuur. They do not know that it is necessary to remember during excavation that Kuyuur is a kind of mesh centrifuge, and the fish, filtering out of the stream of water, remains in the mesh due to rotational inertia.
In March warmth, with the bright shine of spring snow, Kuyuur fishing is not just a craft, but also an excellent form of active recreation. Its charm is especially sensitive after being forced to be imprisoned in a room during the long frosty months after the Yakut winter. Therefore, the results are not always important. Both old and young strive for fresh air.
Kuyuur is not a weapon of predatory extermination of lake animals. On the contrary, it makes it possible to use fish dying from frost without fishing. Kuyuur is a gambling business and there are unsurpassed masters among the Kuyuurs. Imperturbably calm, without unnecessary fuss and waste of energy, they act with their feet so easily that when viewed from the side it seems that they are not splitting hard ice, but stirring up loose, soft snow with a simple stick. Of course, this is many years of experience, a refined technique of movements. But a lot also depends on the features of the shape of the peshny.
Kuyuur is a sport, fishing and an extra reason to stretch your legs and breathe in the vigorous taiga, uniquely fresh March air. Today the ancient craft of the Sakha peoples is reviving. More and more people are joining it, and, remarkably, young people. This means that the traditions of the ancestors of the Sakha people will live on
