panagburak iti rama, harvesting fish in "portable" fish traps

Rama. Puluan. "Mini" and "portable" fish dwellings/trap in rivers. Made of cut small tree branches or tiny twigs, especially that of the thorny damortis (or kamantiris, lulukisen, camachile) and salamagi (tamarind) trees. Bound and placed on strategic parts of the river. When summer comes, it's the perfect time of the year to harvest the rama. Panagburak-rama. Literally to break open the traps. When the family, friends, especially when a balikbayan folk is home, decide to go for a picnic by the river. It's an special Ilokano occassion during summer, when rivers are shallow or almost dried up and fish, shrimps, crabs in the rama is surely bountiful.

Here's one panagburak iti rama one hot summer at Padsan River in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte:

The rama area is secured with a net and is cleared of the ramas.
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The fish traps are being piled out in the bank to dry,
just ready to be returned when the trapped fish is harvested.
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Another net is "deployed", now to really trap and catch them fish.
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The fish are surrounded...
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... until finally "subdued."
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The catch being brought up to dry land.
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Picking the catch.
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To the last bit of fish.
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The catch.
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Fresh catch.
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Detail.
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River bounty.
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Fish being cleaned and readied for inalseman or sinigang.
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Roasting time.
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Matuntuno, maib-ibus.
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The crabs, too.
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Roasted kappi, with pinakbet and Red Horse beer.
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Almost done.
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Almost gone.
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Anthis is my labay (plate): boiled/steamed tilapia, roasted crabs,
pinakbet, and pallang & utong salad, with rice.
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That was it. I really missed this one every summer and always looking forward for a yet another panagbuburak.

By the way, I missed the photographs of the shrimps made into a delicious jumping salad. Read my blog entry about live shrimp food adventure here.

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