George Uyemura couldn't wait until it was over. He said so quite a few times. The 87-year old man with knowledge of the ancients and the wisdom of experience is happy to share his stories with people. He's just not to keen on all the fuss.

On Friday, the Oceanic Institute, an affiliate of Hawai'i Pacific University, held a reception to launch a book about Uyemura's lifetime of work on Moli'i Fishpond, one of the few remaining ancient Hawaiian fishponds. Uyemura spent 70 years stocking, harvesting and maintaining Moli'i in Hakipu'u on Kualoa Ranch land. At the book reception, Uyemura good naturedly heckled those who praised him: "Can you imagine someone dedicating 70 years of work on something?" someone asked. "Yeah, because I'm stupid," Uyemura joked.

But squirming aside, Uyemura graciously autographed copies of "Keeper of Moli'i Pond: An Informal Account of George Uyemura and His Amazing Hawaiian Fishpond." He even dressed up in his fish-print aloha shirt.

The book was written by Vernon T. Sato and Dr. Cheng-Sheng Lee of the Oceanic Institute. When Uyemura retired in 1998, there were several attempts to document his knowledge of maintaining the aquaculture system of Moli'i pond.

"Different individuals made a few false starts when it looked like funding might be available," the authors wrote. "The work for this book was initiated on the belief that it was important to begin even without the commitment of funding."

Uyemura, the son of Japanese immigrants, learned much of the art and science of his work from a Hawaiian elder called Kahuna whom he met in the 1930s.

"He learned from Kahuna about how the Hawaiians observed the fish and their behaviors in order to become better fishermen. He learned of the Hawaiian system of fishery and resource management, the traditional kapu," the authors wrote.

There are amazing passages describing what it was like for Uyemura as a young boy to have to scrape the barnacles off the sluice gate of the pond or about a beloved turtle that once made her home in Moli'i pond. The text even includes a section of fish recipes from George's wife, Jane, who never let a guest go hungry or a visitor leave empty-handed.

The book "Keeper of Moli'i Pond" can be downloaded free of charge from the Oceanic Institute Web site at www.oceanicinstitute.org. Hard copies can be purchased for $25 by calling Jillian Yasutake at the CTSA office of the Oceanic Institute at 259-3168.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.