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Maurice and Flavius Ouellet

Black and white photograph: Flavius and Maurice Ouellet standing in shallow water in the middle of a brush weir (interwoven branches). Dense branch structure (around and in the background). Thin white tree trunks integrated. Île aux Patins, Kamouraska: interior of a traditional fishing structure.

Maurice and Flavius Ouellet in the weir at Île aux Patins in Kamouraska. Photo: V.D. Vladykov, Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec.

Weir fishing techniques were often learned within the family. Young boys would accompany their fathers and grandfathers to learn the methods for building and managing weirs. Each family had their own secrets and techniques. This knowledge was passed down orally and through observation, thereby ensuring that ancestral methods would be preserved.