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[Page 43] 43
- Fishing & fishing superstitions and
The making of fishing lines
- and -
Fish Spears
mooting or tutti- Heavy four prong spear for sea mullet
single prong,heavy - Kingfish or Jewfish spear
- womerah (throwing stick)
Fishing lines were made from the inner bark of the Kuragong
tree - The bark when stripped, was allowed to soak in water
until the outer portion could be easily scraped away, leaving
a white flax like material, very rough and strong. - This
was twisted by the women to the required thickness and
length by rolling it on the front portion of their thighs
on a part prepared for the work, by the application
of hot ashes which destroyed the skin and left when
healed a smooth hard patch free of surface hairs -
The lines when finished were extremely strong, and
durable - this material was also useful in the
manufacture of fishing spears for fastening the bone
tips to the prongs, and in other ways -
The mooting or fish spear consisted of three parts -
Four prongs of iron bark, the mainshaft made from
the dead stem of the gigantic lily, and a third piece, of the
thinner stem of the flower of the grass tree - The weight and
strength were regulated to the purpose for which the spear was