Briqueira

Fishing gear consisting of two slender quince tree rods, joined at the thicker ends and supporting one or two lines of one fathom in length, to which the hooks are attached. At the junction of the two rods, there is a loop or clasp where the line that supports the gear is fastened, which then plunges due to the action of a weight attached to the rods just below the loop. This weight can be a piece of lead, and in that case, it is called a 'chumbada'; or it consists of a simple rounded stone, and then it is called a 'pandulho'. In Porto Santo, the quince tree rods are sometimes replaced by tamarisk tree branches. This gear is generally intended for the fine fish that inhabit rocky bottoms, such as groupers, snappers, red bream, and alfonsinos, etc.