History

    The merits of Vladas Putvis-Putvinskis in fishery (1899-1926). The fishery in Silo-Pavezupis estate is inseparably connected with the name of Putvinskis-Pūtvis, the owner of the estate. There was a legend about one of this family members Dionyzas, who was born and spend the biggest part of his life in XVIII century.

    "Once a year Putvinskis, dressed in his Sunday best, together with courtier suite and a group of workers would go to one of the pond dikes and would ask to lower the water level. When the level of water was very low, he wouldn’t pay any attention to the peaceful fish, floundering on the ground, and would ask to bring him a big pike. The man was not afraid of the sharp pike’s teeth and liked to kiss and cross it, then he would throw it back to the pool and directed to full the pool with water again.”

    If we believe this legend, we would have to admit that one or two little pools in Silo-Pavezupis estate were already in 1800. Data from archives states that there was a watermill in Silo-Pavezupis estate at the end of XVIII century, which means that there could be a pool as well. Nevertheless, neither Vladas Putvinskis, who made pools here a century later, nor Emilija Putvinskienė mentions any pools at their time in their remembrances (XVIII a.). This is the reason, why, despite the realistic background of the legend, the initiator of the fishery in Silo-Pavezupis estate is not Dionyzas, but his great-grandchild Vladas Pūtvis-Putvinskis (1873-1929), who is known as the founder of Lithuanian Shooter Association and ideologist.

    During the spawning, Stasys Putvinskis did not allow to disturb the peace: to shout and to ride near the spawning ground. He himself adored watching the spawning process – such a wonderful view. In the early mornings of May, Putvinskis would sit on the waterside and watch the splashing of carps. Back in the house he would speak with admiration about his huge and beautiful fish.

    After the spawning of carps, the fisher would catch the brood fish and the workers of the estate would bring them back to the “Malūnas” pool. The little larvae in spawning ground would consume all infusoria in few days and later they were carried to bigger crossing pools (the already mentioned “nauprūdžiai”), which were two before the Second World War. (Vladas Putvinskis called such transferring pools “narštas” (spawning)). The fry was usually kept in such transferring pools for some weeks or for a month; it used to eat everything there. This is the photo of Silo-Pavezupis estate owner Stasys Putvinskis (on the left) and the estate fisher, the former book-carrier Kazimieras Račkauskas, in  1930.

    Fishing and carps catching. In autumn the Silo-Pavezupis estate’s yearlings were usually about 0,5 kilo (earlier – about 1pound – about 400 gram), sometimes bigger. According to the already dead Mykolas Norkus, Vladas Putvinskis used to sell carps only when the weight of two fish was 1 kg, and if not – he would leave them through the winter.
    The fishery usually started in autumn – in September. All workers would leave their work and go to the pools; even the estate’s blacksmith Aleksas Stungurys liked to join them for a time.

    When the water was lowered and when one could see the backs of carps, the fish had to be guarded again. Kazimieras Račkauskas was living near the pools again. Sometimes other estate workers would substitute for him and the man could rest. As the senior fisherman, Kazimieras was paid 600 Lt yearly. Račkauskas would lower the water level in the pool slowly; the process used to take almost a week. During the night Račkauskas would put nets on the watercourse and would whip in the fish. It would slowly swim to the “monk”. In the morning the owner of the estate used to be amazed: the whole fish in one place.

    Before the World War II one could get one pound of fish for 25 cents. During the period when Lithuania was independent one kilo of carps used to cost even 5 Litas, but during crisis period, the price was lower. Vytautas (b. 1929), the son of the former estate fisher Rapolas Pluščiauskas, mentioned that when Stasys Putvinskis was the owner, the prime cost for one kilo of carp was 0.5 Litas, and they would sell it for one Litas. This means that one kilo of fish gave 1.5 Litas profit and they grew several tons of carps every year. As already mentioned, the bigger profit was gained from the yearling fish sale. When Vladas Putvinskis was the owner, even Latvians came to purchase the fish. Stasys Putvinskis wanted to sell the fish to Jews because he could get more money from them than from the state.

    Jew, called Mendelis, had a house at the Kražantė stream, near Kelmė. He used to buy fish from Putvinskis. The workers of the estate had to take carps to the Jew in Kelmė. This man kept the fish in wooden boxes, which were put in the stream. After getting the fish from Putvinskis, he used to take it to various places: Kelmė, Tauragė, Skaudvilė or Šiauliai. Jews also used to buy the fish eagerly.