Traditional Craftsmanship of Bowfishing

The name "bowfishing" is derived from the need to tie fish into a bow shape rather than referring to a specific fish. Jian'ou is a freshwater fish producing area, and fish such as silver carp, silver carp, grass carp and crucian carp can be processed into bowfishing by the fish tying technique, and most of the fish markets in the local market will sell bowfishing processed fish. Since there was no oxygen supply equipment in the old days, the fish were often dead when they were delivered to the fish market, so the fishermen inadvertently developed the bowfishing technique in order to provide them with fresh fish. Bowfishing is divided into three major processes, namely "initial tying", "feeding" and "tying". The so-called "first tie" is to find the right fish, grab the gills of the fish, use a bamboo stick to pierce the nose of the fish, and then use teeth to bite the rope through the holes and knots, the body of the fish bent to the right into a bow, and the other end of the rope is tied to the tail of the fish near the anus, and then pull it tightly; "feeding water" means to The "feeding" means to put the fish back into the water to spit out the dirt. Immediately following the process is "tied water", bowfin in the water for one to two hours, do not move the knot of the fish nose, but to untie the rope of the fish tail, and then the rope tied to the position above the anus and pulled tight.

Bowfish focus on skills, gestures must be fast, Yin force to stabilize the fish body to prevent struggling, action in one fell swoop, gestures skilled can be completed in just a few seconds, because the fish in the net will struggle to hurt the fish body. And the whole process must be completed by only one person, when the teeth bite the rope, a little careless, the teeth can be torn off by the pull of the fish, so the bowfishing has a certain degree of danger. There are also comments that the practice of bowfishing prolongs the unnecessary pain of the fish and is inhumane. Bowfishing is easy to carry and transport. Fish that have been treated with bowfishing can survive for 10 hours to a day in an out-of-water environment, and the survival rate varies according to the climate. If left in the water without food, they can survive for about half a month. Under the "first tie", because the bowfin is tied tightly, the fish body to avoid bouncing and make the meat to keep tender; and "tie water" can be the fish belly water retention not to leak out of the body, can remove the fishy smell and the smell of pond mud. But in modern times, for the sake of efficiency, many fishermen have skipped the step of "tying water" and only do the "initial tying" and "feeding water" treatment.

There is also a local dish named after the bowfin, called "crispy fried bowfin," which is salted and deep-fried with sweet potato flour, beer and egg batter until golden brown, then dipped in a hot and sour sauce. Diners commented that the meat is tender and crispy.