Historically, the Shors settled along the banks of the Mrassu, Kondoma and Tom Rivers, rich in fish. Fishing was seasonal and mostly intended for local consumption, although residents of the lower reaches of Mrassu exported grayling, pike, taimen and burbot and sold them in Kuznetsk.

Depending on the size of the fish and the fishing method, different equipment was required.

Catching small fish, three to four centimeters long, was like gathering, and was carried out by women and children. Wandering through shallow waters, they explored the holes under the stones and extracted fish by hand. They also used nets woven from kendyr: the net was lowered under the water, and when a school of fish gathered above it, it was raised sharply. Women used ropes to tie birch bark boxes to their belts: the boxes floated nearby, and the fish from the nets were put in those boxes.

In the autumn, men went fishing in a more serious way. Large fish were pierced with a harpoon with one, four or five prongs. For such fishing, they chose quiet, deep waters and went there at night in boats. A fire lit at the bow of the boat illuminated the fish deep in the water, allowing the fisherman to take aim. This method required a lot of experience and precision.

In addition to the harpoon, fish were hit with wooden arrows, nets were used, and fishing rods were made from hooked tools. The hooks were bought or commissioned from local blacksmiths.

Men set up “engme” nets with floats made of wood or birch bark and weights made of ground pebbles tied to the upper edge. They surrounded a section of the river, sailed inside the circle, and drove the fish into the net with poles. Gill nets and seines were also used quite often.

In smaller places, the river flow was blocked with fences made of twigs, leaving holes for “sugen” and “ashpar” traps. “Ashpar” were boxes like troughs, “sugen” were nets in the form of wicker cones inserted into each other. Other devices included fishing rods, hooks, “agashsugen” pins, and “uske” screens.

The fishing process was associated with several prohibitions: fishermen were forbidden to laugh, swear, or shout. Before fishing, the elders sprinkled wine.