AKLAVIK - A lifetime of fishing, whaling and hunting has taught Donald Aviugana a thing or two about making a catch.

Aklavik resident Donald Aviugana, 74, has been making fishing and hunting gear since he was a young trapper. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

To start with, fishermen need the right gear, he knows, and many of those in the Beaufort Delta region have been ordering handmade fish hooks and harpoon heads directly from him.

"They like black and silver, but if the hook is too white, the fish don't go for it," he advises on selecting a good fish hook.

The 74-year-old Aklavik resident is taking a bit of a break from hunting to work on his carving skills.

"I'm getting to be an elder now and if I don't do trapping I could do some carving. I thought to myself, 'I have to do something,' so I just continued carving. I wouldn't say I'm a good carver but I do my best," Aviugana said.

He specializes in the aluminium hooks and ulus he has been making since he began hunting. He uses muskox and sheep horns to make ulus.

"I tried using wolf bones from the legs but they're too brittle. You tap it once and they smash to pieces," he said. "You could use reindeer and caribou horns, but the colour is not that good."

"I've been doing it pretty much all my life," he added, explaining he learned by watching his parents, especially his dad. "I started when I was a young kid. I kept trying and trying and eventually I got it kind of good so I decided to do some commercial stuff," he said.

"You can make a hook just by watching and then if you can't do a good job you just keep trying and trying until you make it the right way."

Carving fishing and hunting gear, as well as making traditional drums, became more than just a personal hobby when Aviugana realized how many of his friends were hankering to borrow some of his customized gear. He said he'll sometimes give away some of the equipment he makes, but usually he only accepts orders in advance.

"I sold quite a lot last year, 50 or 60 (hooks) but, you know, I didn't have much to do last year. Sometimes I get a lot of orders and I can't keep up with them," Aviugana said.

The craftsman was born in Aklavik and has lived most of his life there, except for a few years working in Inuvik. He spent the majority of his time out at hunting and whaling camps along the shoreline, where he still goes if he feels able. If not, Aviugana has carving to fall back on.

"It's not really a business," he said. "but it's a lot of work."