PURPOSE: To obtain small fishes kept in various drying states by only changing the temperature of a spraying solution, by spraying a solution seasoned with salt, etc., onto small fishes laid on a basket steamer, feeding the small fishes into a high-temperature drier, rotating the small fishes within a set time and discharging the small fishes out of the high-temperature drier.

CONSTITUTION: Small fishes are laid on a basket steamer 1 and the basket steamer 1 is put on a table and a seasoned solution 3 is sprayed onto these small fishes and the basket steamer 1 is moved from a position of a claw 4A to a position of a claw 4B by movement of a conveyer 2 and the basket steamer raised while being heated is moved to a receiver for basket steamer of lowering conveyer by a claw 12 of wire 11 and lowered to a position of the conveyer 2. A door 6 is pushed open in a state where the basket steamer is carried on a guide 22 and the basket steamer is discharged out of the drier by moving the claw 4 from a position 4B to a position 4C.