Daklis is a traditional fishing method used by the people of Ilocos, Philippines. It is a community activity that involves villagers young and old. Essentially, the whole village works together to bring in the day’s catch. A very large “daklis”, or dragnet is carried out several hundred meters into the water. Half of the participants hold one end of the net while the other half receives the other end of the net after it is taken out to sea, forming a U-shape. They then pull the net towards shore, closing the gap between the two groups. The daklis and all of its contents are brought to shore for the villagers to share.
This particular daklis took place in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur while on assignment for Stonedogs Photography. It was a beautiful event and I could feel the sense of unity in the air as everyone worked together. I sincerely hope that the people of Ilocos Sur can preserve this tradition for years to come. Here are some behind the scenes photos of me and fellow photographer Eli Agabin having a blast shooting the morning’s events:
Photographer’s corner:
I used my trusty Canon 10D with a Sigma 18-125mm. It’s not the sharpest lens, but the large zoom range gave me the flexibility to take wide to telephoto shots. When documenting events like this, don’t be afraid to get “down and dirty”. It’s part of the fun and challenge of getting the shot. In this case, there was salt water, sand and fish parts flying around and we loved every moment of it. Just clean your gear properly afterwards and you’ll be fine. 🙂
