Historically, the Karuk people of the upper Klamath River harvested fish with gill nets, dip nets, and by building fish dams across the river. The dams, which were temporary structures of poles and branches, were constructed each fall at one of the six sites within Karuk territory. Contemporary Karuk fishermen continue to dip net at Ishi Pishi Falls on the Klamath River. There, they may still harvest salmon and winter steelhead for subsistence purposes. Dip net webbing is now hand woven from nylon twine. The net poles which are about 12 feet long are generally fir which has been carefully dried, peeled, and trimmed. The hoops which hold the netting, are flexible oak. The well balanced net is used by one fisherman to take the fish while a partner, known as the "clubber" stands by to kill the wildly thrashing fish before it is removed from the net.
