Taanuud gen uu taay.yii gii uu hll X̱aw gang (When it’s fall I go Coho fishing)

Bertha Bruce and Jaada Sing.gang giis (Denise Russ) laying out taay.yii to dry.

The rain has been falling for month, and the rivers swelling with water, fish, and falling leaves. Many people have been out fishing for táay.yii this season for their winter stores. Táay.yii are beautiful silver salmon which have rearing grounds all over Xaayda Gwaay.aay.

They begin their life cycle in freshwater streams, then head for marine areas close to shore where they feed on plankton, squid, herring, sand-lance and other small fish for up to three years before returning to the streams where they were born.

On Xaayda Gwaay.aay táay.yii run from in the early fall up until December, when they are referred to as gayda daahlging needle fish in belly of Coho. They are called that because the gayda daahlging start to run when the gayda needle fish start to arrive in the waters of Xaayda Gwaay.aay.

Táay.yii were traditionally smoked or cut into strips and dried to make ts’iljii for winter food, and today Xaayda’s also enjoy having canned and frozen táay.yii on their shelves and in their freezers. The females’ large red st’llskxaaw eggs are also a favorite treat, especially when baked or barbequed and mixed with sGyuu seaweed and taw eulachon grease!