Griendbaas
The name of this occupation comes from the so-called grienden — the wetlands of the Biesbosch, covered with reed and water-willow. The Biesbosch was once a river estuary and a floodplain for the North Sea. Its brackish waters and tidal range of up to two meters made it a dangerous and rugged environment.
The griendbaas was the foreman of sometimes more than a hundred workers (griendwerkers) who harvested reed and both thin and thick twines of willow. They also expanded the willow woods by planting young twines in the muddy flats. Workers only returned when their flat-bottomed boats were packed with reed or willow. During their stay, they lived on dry patches in self-built wooden huts, often for up to two weeks. Their provisions and personal belongings were stored in rectangular wooden boxes with a handle on top — a clever design that kept rats from getting to the supplies.
The griendbaas also produced hoops for wooden barrels. Willow twines were used for woven chairs, and thicker wood was crafted into mats that served as foundations for waterworks or reinforcement for dykes.
When metal barrels and plastic products became widespread, the occupation faded. The once-prosperous griendbaas saw his livelihood disappear. He was often the father of many children, most of whom grew up healthy and reached adulthood — which explains the large families in my own lineage, including Michiel. See also the interview with Bas Dubbelman under Recent History.
Visser / Zalmvisser
The Dutch word visser means fisherman. The Biesbosch had various fishing techniques for different species. Some fishermen used bow nets to catch eel. Others cast floating nets from their boats to catch salmon. Sturgeon fishing was more dramatic: fishermen baited the sturgeon, tied a rope around its tail, and dragged it behind the boat. Once they had enough, they returned to the harbor. The sturgeon had to be kept alive until sold at the fish market. In the past, smelt was caught in large quantities in the Biesbosch. See also tales for the two man who tried to steel a barrel of smelt.