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The hunt of swordfish
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Fishing for swordfish in the Strait of Messina has a history of thousands of years. The first fact date back to the Bronze Age. Fishing with arpione is even cited by Polybius already in the second century a. C., then by Pliny the Elder in the first century AD And finally from greek Oppiano poet in the third century AD. The arpione used was already equipped with wing retention and already two thousand years ago the swordfish were caught with nets and lines in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea, before they entered into the Strait.
The swordfish, unlike what happened in ancient times, is now universally known both for his friendly appearance, and for the biological characteristics, both for its excellent quality and bars. It is now fishing in many parts of the world with the most disparate systems. It is known however that the most distinctive and spectacular systems fishing for swordfish is the one with the arpione used in the Strait of Messina. This is a fishery (or "hunting", as ancient as it), practiced for centuries more or less with the same technique, ancient ritual and challenge between man and "torpedo the sea".
Fishing with arpione is made possible by the fact that swordfish, animal predator agile, intelligent and fast, lover of the deepest depth, strangely at the end of April is usually appear along the shores of the Strait of Messina and surrounding areas for accoppiarsi, Water relatively low. Even more strange then the behavior of this fish in the following months, from May to August is impacciato and intorpidito, is surprising in low bottoms or stop to the flow, digress from the dangers giocherellando alone or with its companion , is fairly easy to reach from boats that hated. This implies that, once sighted, the sword very difficult to escape its fate.
Another its originality is the alternative presence along the two shores of the Strait: throughout May and June on the Calabria and Palmi between Cannitello; throughout July and August (sometimes up to mid-September) on the Sicilian, a torrent Annunziata Capo Peloro. The weapon used for this typical daytime fishing auction is over four metres long, which is applied a arpione iron tempered. L 'arpione can be of two types: one for the flesh tender prey (such as swordfish and tuna), called "ferru' and consists of a tip about 25 cm long., Equipped with four wings, with function retention, incardinate central axis; other prey for the largest meat (like sharks), "draffinera, consisting of a tip a little shorter than the previous and equipped with only two wings held. Other types of fish (aguglia imperial wheel) are caught with a large harpoon seven teeth, "said friccina.
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