Ice-knocking fishery of smelts

Smelt ice-knocking fishing is one of the passive and friendly ways of small-scale fishery, a kind of trapping fishery. This trade has been fostered by the coastal community of the Curonian Spit since ancient times.

People were using this fishing method in Preila, Pervalka, and Nida up to the end of the 20th century. The tradition lasted until smelt started migrating due to natural factors and human activity, so younger fishermen chose easier ways of fishing, although they were still experts at ice knocking.

Ice knocking is unique in its complexity – it includes the phenomenon of fish behaviour, the old fishing customs of Kuršininkai that are tightly knit to folklore, and the local gastronomic culture. The final process of ice fishing was formed in 1915: a fisherman takes the fishing nets together with a 4-meter-long wooden plank (usually made of a fir tree or a pine tree) and puts it into the ice hole of a 50x50cm size. It is important that the top of the plank remains above the ice, so that the fisherman can bang on it with small wooden bludgeons. Sometimes the knocking is rhythmically accompanied by the fisherman’s singing “stinta pūkis, stinta pūkis“. The knocking sound under the ice scares the smelt, and they swim into the nets. When the process is over, the fisherman takes out the plank from under the ice, and then takes out the catch.

Up until today the tradition has maintained its primary purpose – the fishermen go ice fishing with knocking planks not only for pleasure, which is important for this activity, but also for economic reasons. It is said that the sea both feeds and dresses the fisherman. This fishing custom is being fostered through a famous event in Neringa – “Stintapūkis” celebration. Its main focus is the demonstration of the ice-knocking fishery.

Submitter – Administration of Neringa Municipality, 2020

Tradition bearers – ice-knocking fishermen of the Curonian Spit lagoon coast