october-2011

FISHY TALES
Tourists fl ock to beautiful Lake Constance to hike, cycle and fi sh.
But what’s life like for the people who live around it? We spoke to three
locals in the countries it borders, Germany, Switzerland and Austria
Lake Constance’s stunning
Alpine setting and mild
climate make it a yearround
magnet for tourists.
There’s a lot to do and see: the
surrounding towns and villages
have a Mediterranean ambiance
and are great fun to explore;
hikers and cyclists can choose
from countless routes along the
lake’s shores and in the
surrounding fi elds and forests.
The lake is also culturally
diverse – its shoreline passes
through Germany, Switzerland
and Austria – and it has a rich
history: the region is dotted with
Stone Age stilt houses, palaces,
fortresses and churches.
But that’s the tourist view.
What’s it like for the locals? We
talked to a fi sherman in Austria,
a tour guide in Switzerland and a
barrel organ maker in
Überlingen, Germany. Three
people, three professions, three
countries – what did they have to
say about life on the lake?
The fi sherman
When the sun rises over Lake
Constance in the clear, fresh air
of the early morning, and the
chatter of the birds and the chug
of the motorboat are the only
sounds to be heard, that’s when
fi sherman Elmar Gehrer loves
his job best.
The 55-year-old has been
making this trip out onto the
lake for over 33 years now. Add a
big catch, and he’s had the
perfect day. But a full net isn’t
Elmar Gehrer, Berufsfi scher am Bodensee
Elmar Gehrer and fi sh bucket
always guaranteed. “Sometimes
you catch 60kg–70kg of fi sh and
sometimes just a few,” he says.
Gehrer’s home is the small
village of Höchst in the Austrian
district of Bregenz. His father
and grandfather both made the
same 4km journey to the lake
each day before him.
His fi shing boat is moored in
a small private harbour in the
middle of a nature reserve.
Gehrer always casts his nets in
the late afternoon and gathers
them in again the next morning.
Until a few years ago, his father
helped him, but he’s now 99 and
prefers to stay at home. There
are 145 professional fi shermen
working in the three countries
adjoining Lake Constance.
“Nineteen of them are under 40,”
says Gehrer despairingly, “35 are
over 70. It’s about time some
young people were given a
chance to earn a decent living
doing this job.”
In addition to his daily tasks,
Gehrer is also an active member of
the Lake Constance International
Fisheries Association. “Any
legislation or applications have to
be approved by all three countries
adjoining Lake Constance,” he
explains. “The lake is governed
by some of the strictest laws in
Europe. And that’s not such a bad
thing, given that it’s supplying
over four million people with
their drinking water.”
In spring and summer, the
catch mainly consists of
L A K E C O N S T A N C E
whitefi sh, which are sold as tasty
specialities in local shops, and
served fried, steamed or smoked
in restaurants.
In autumn, things quieten
down for Gehrer and his fellow
fi shermen. From mid-October
until 10 January it’s closed
season for the lake’s whitefi sh.
The break is only interrupted by
a four-day Christmas fi sh and
spawn fi shing for fi sh farming.
During the dark winter
months, Gehrer undertakes
essential repairs to his boats and
nets in his workshop in the
Höchst. “Then I can start
looking forward to doing some
skiing,” he says. The fi sherman
lives where other people go on
holiday, so he needn’t travel far.
GW—53