Fishing - Ancient Hawaiian Style
Aboard the Hokule`a and Hawai`iloa

Courtesy Polynesian Voyaging Society

The only way to supplement food supplies on an ancient voyaging canoe at sea was to catch fish, and possibly birds. Fishing was a matter of survival. In the same tradition, fishing is more than just a pastime on Hokule'a. A good-sized fish provides a day or two of food for the crew and allows the crew to stretch its supply of food and lengthen the time the crew can survive at sea.

One crew member on board the canoe serves as a designated fisherman, responsible for putting out the lines at sunrise, bringing in the catch with the assistance of other crew members, and pulling in the lines at sunset.

Hokule'a trails up to four 400 pound-test fishing lines, with lures attached. Two of the lines extend out from each side of the canoe on bamboo poles to prevent the lines from tangling. The canoe needs to travel at 6-7 knots for good results. The crew catches a range of open ocean fish, including aku, 'ahi, mahimahi, ono, and a'u, or marlin. On the 29-day voyage to Tahiti in 1992, 35 fish were caught; on the 35-day voyage from Rarotonga to Hawai'i in 1992, 27 fish were caught, including a 150-pound and a 200-pound marlin.