Kyeonji -- Traditional Korean Fishing Tackle
Written by songwoo, president
Korea Kyeonji Fishing Club
Korea Fishing Professional Council
Until the 1940's Korea was not really known well in the world. Some people, though, recognized Korea as a country of reclusive scholars and as a land of morning calm full of curious things.
This is true. Korea is a 5000 year old country, the land of morning calm and of hermit scholars. Here in our country, we have our own traditional fishing tackle which is still unfamiliar to other people in the world.
I have found that the use of this fishing tackle was already among Korean fisherman in the early 1800's I assume that the Korean people used this type of fishing tackle for years before that. This fishing tackle is called 'Kyeonji.'
The word 'Kyeonji' is a pure Korean, not. derived from Chinese. Kyeonji means an H-framed flat piece of wood for winding thread when weaving clothes. It was named from its shape which beared a resemblance to reel used to hold kite string. In the same way you unwind string from a reel to fly a kite, you unwind the fishing line from the kyeonji to fish. It is unknown if people started flying kites first or using fishing tackle of this sort first, but the Korean people created their own fishing tackle using Kyeonji, the H-framed reel.
I wrote this book in the belief that anyone in the world could easily enjoy using this type of fishing tackle. I'm happy to give you an opportunity to use this fishing tackle which many scholars have used through the years in our land.
1. The H-framed Reel
The H-framed reel used in Korea today is 70 to 80 centimeters long and the top portion, the reel, on which the fishing line is wound is about 8 centimeters wide and 14 centimeters long, as can be seen in the picture(1). The fishing rod is solid and about 0.5 centimeters in diameter. The handle is about 0.7 centimeters in diameter. There are about 22-24 ribs and these keep the fishing line from being cut when a fish tries to escape.
The top part of this fishing rod has the same role the reel of other fishing rods; that is winding and unwinding the line. But it feels different when you catch a fish. An H-framed reel reels much better when a fish has been hooked and when you are playing or reeling in the fish. This is because as the reel turns as it winds and unwinds, the line pulls against the reel, causing friction on each side of the frame as it turns. There fore, you get a stronger sense of control through the reel into your hands when you use an H-framed reel.
You don't have to worry about losing your line because of this friction. The reel has about 20 meters of main line and an extra 30 meters of line which automatically unwinds when you are playing the fish. It is, therefore, a pretty safe reel.
The fishing rod is usually made of glass fiber or a mixture of 70% glass fiber and 30% carbon. The reel section at the top is made of bamboo or glass fiber. Old Koreans used to use plants like bamboo, acacia, or plum, or animal products such as cattle horn and whale too the bone, or metal rods to fashion their tackle from.
The H-framed tackle can be purchased at local fishing equipment shops or from larger fishing equipment stores in Seoul. The price ranges from $4 to $20 each, depending on the quality. These are not factory products, but hand made products.
2. Where to Fish with Your H-Framed Reel
The H-framed reel can be used for most types of fresh water fishing, as well as trolling on the ocean. It can be used for ice fishing or frozen lakes or streams. But its original use was for wading and fishing in the center of the stream. It is in this way that I advise you to use this tackle for the fist time. The depth of the water should be between your kness and waist. The bottom of the stream should be of small rocks or rocks and sand. You should aboid mud.
When you fish in a stream or river, choose a rather narrow place. Whee the river is narrow, water flows rather fast and the bottom is usually gravel. You can fish where this narrow neck begins or ends, but I would say the bottom of the neck is better because that's where the flow of the river slows and the water becomes deeper. As most fishermen know, there are more fish in deeper water.
3. Preparing to Fish
Preparation is very simple. You use number 1 line, a number 4 fish-hook, and as bait use worms which live under rocks along the river. You also use a light, flat piece of lead placed slightly above the bait to weight the line and make it lie on the bottom of the river. So, all you need is a fishing rod, a fine fishing line, a small fish-hook, and a light piece of flat lead foil. See the picture(1).
Some people use two more things for better fishing. They are, as you can see in the picture (2), a ground bait bag and a metal rod. The ground gait bag is used to hold bait. People here in Korea put small worms and sesame pulp together in the bag. The metal rod is used both as a place to hang your bait bag, and as a support for you to lean against when needed. The rod is pushed into the bottom of the river and provides a quite convenient place to hang your bag or a pole to hold onto in strong current.
Now, about bait. You can get worms near rivers, or you can make your own bait. You can use the guts of fish, leaving them exposed at 30 degrees Celsius. When larval flies (maggots) form, rinse them in fresh water. They make excellent bait.
4. Catching fish
Look at the illustration on picture (2). Where do you think the fish will come to? The fish gather about 5 meters from the ground bait bag, tempted by the scent of the bait. Now I believe you can figure out how to catch those fish with your H-framed reel.
But, just in case, let me give you a hint. Adjust the light lead weight so that the baited fish-hook can be placed about 5 meters from the ground bait bag. Then dip the fishing rod several times to make the bait dance. Suddenly you'll feel the pull of a fish on your line. You may get small fish right away, but catching bigger fish requires using a longer line. Just be patient for a while and wait until the whole line is unwound.
Let me take a minute to tell you about my experience. I have caught small fish about 7 centimeters long and big fish longer than 50 centimeters. Sometimes I have caught two or three fish in one minute and ended up with more than a hundred fish in two hours. But this is no big deal. There are a lot of people who catch bigger fish and more fish in a certain time with their H-framed reels in Korea. But these people are usually not greedy. They let their fish go.
5. Key Points of the H-Framed Tackle
There are three major points about this tackle. First, it's perfect for a summer vacation. On hot summer days, if you go into the cool, clear water and fish with this reel, you'll forget how hot it is. You'll just enjoy fishing. Second, it never fails. You don't relly feel good if you don't catch any fish. If you use an H-framed reel, I guarantee you that you will never fail to catch at least one fish. Third, the tackle can be used by anyone. You can find a grandfather with his son, his daughter-in-law, and his grandchildren fishing in rivers in Korea.
It's time to close this brief introduction to the traditional Korean fishing tackle, Kyeonji, the H-framed reel. Actually, there is little need to explain how to fish to anglers. All they need to know is how to use the fishing rod. Any fisherman can create his own method and enjoy it. But I suggest that you try using the H-framed reel with the help of the pictures in this book.
Thank you for your interest in this traditional Korean fishing tackle, and congratulations on your understanding this tackle.