Cormorant fishing has a very long history.  A family register kept in Shosoin in the Nara Period (the 8^th century) lists the job of a cormorant fisherman indicating that cormorant fishing was already practiced at that time. Cormorant fishing was protected by the Imperial Court and authorities.  It is said that, in the 16th century, Oda Nobunaga started to call the fishermen cormorant masters (usho) and the Tokugawa family gave the cormorant fishermen the privilege to carry swords and allowed them to have surnames.  In 1890 (Meiji Period), usho became a part of the Imperial Household Ministry and from that time to the present, they perform under the Imperial Household Ministry in order to keep the tradition of cormorant fishing alive.  

On a quiet evening, boats set out into the murmuring stream.  Encouraged by the hooting sound of the cormorant masters, cormorants dive into the river under the light of bonfire and catch one fish after another.  The climax of the evening, known as karikudari, arrives when the viewing boats approach the side of the fishermen’s boats allowing tourists to see how the cormorants, tied to the master, catch ayu (sweet fish).  It is also an excellent chance to observe how the fishermen expertly handle several cormorants at once.  After the viewing boats return to the bank, tourists can watch the cormorant boats lined up in procession passing right in front of them.  This procession is known as tsukemise.

　鵜飼の歴史はきわめて古く、正倉院に残る奈良時代の戸籍に、既に『鵜飼』の名が登場することなどから、この頃から既に行われていた漁法だと考えられています。鵜飼は、朝廷をはじめとする時の権力者の保護を受けて来ました。『鵜匠』の命名は織田信長によるものと言われ、又、徳川家も苗字帯刀御免等の待遇を与えていました。そして明治23年には宮内省に属することとなり、現在に至るまで小瀬の鵜匠は宮内庁式部職の鵜匠として宮中の御用を続けると共に、伝統的な漁法を守り続けています。
静寂の中、清流の心地よい瀬音を聞きながら船は動きだします。かがり火の灯りだけに照らされながら、鵜は鵜匠の『ホウホウ』という掛声に励まされ、次々に水中に潜っては魚を捕えます。小瀬鵜飼の圧巻は『狩り下り』で、手縄で操られている鵜が間近にご覧頂けるのと同時に、鵜匠の巧みな手縄さばきも十分に堪能して頂けます。岸に屋形船を留めた後には、目前を鵜船が通る『付け見せ』も行われます。