If there was only one iconic image from Inle Lake, it would be one of an Intha fisherman. The Intha People developed a distinctive rowing style of standing on one end of their boat on one leg while wrapping their other leg around their oar. This style was developed for fishing due to the reeds and floating plants in the lake. Because of the plants, it was hard to see if they were sitting in their boats but much better if they were standing.

They also have several styles of fishing but the one using a bamboo basket is the one that Inle Lake is most noted for and by far the most popular style that we saw as we traveled around the lake. We saw many fishermen using this technique but I will show just one guy to try and take you through the sequence used for catching fish.

1. They use their motors to get out into the lake to where they hoped was a good location, then they shut off the motor. They stand on the end of the boat and while watching the water for bubbles, paddle with their leg-wrapped oar over to a good location.

2. When they reach the location where they want to try to catch some fish, they quit paddling and get their fishing basket ready to thrust into the water.

3. They angle their basket into the water and then give it a good downwards shove.

4. They keep pushing downwards until the basket rests on the bottom of the lake, hopefully with some fish inside it.

5. At that point, they take their oar or another piece of bamboo and put it down into the basket and beat it all about. This is to scare the fish so that the fish swim hard to get away but in the process, get their gills stuck in the netting. Then the fisherman pulls the basket back into his boat and takes the fish out of the net.