Whaling was the most prestigious maritime pursuit, but fishing was the economic backbone of Makah life.

The offshore waters and the rivers of the Olympic Peninsula supported populations of salmon, halibut, rockfish, cod, herring, and many other species.

Each required different techniques, different equipment, and different knowledge.

Salmon fishing used weirs and traps in rivers, dip nets and seine nets in coastal waters, and hook-and-line methods from canoes.

Each technology had its own associated equipment, its own season, and its own set of required skills.

Salmon were a primary food resource, processed for winter storage through drying, smoking, and the rendering of fish oil.