Flakes are wooden platforms covered with spruce or fir poles (longers) - and stages - primitive wooden buildings (frequently built over the water along the shoreline) - were essential to the fishermen for landing, splitting, salting and drying their catches of codfish.

Following various periods under salt - depending if the product were to be heavy or light salted or pickled - it was again washed and spread on top of boughs on the flakes to be dried by the sun. This process took a number of days depending on the temperature, the amount of sun and absence of rain. The time consuming chore was most often the responsibility of the women in the fishing family, and the quality of the finished product depended to a large measure on the dedication and skill of these essential people.