feed myself fishing

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Pignut

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jun 9, 2005
4,096
12
44
Lincolnshire
well, another fishing thread!

Advice needed... correct me if I am wrong

if i had to feed myself by fishing, a rod and line is not to practical! (relaxing though)

So techniques for boat salt and fresh (probably river)

would be;
Gill net
long line
speed hooks?
And pots
any other ideas

Iam aware of prohibited fishing methods etc.. this is a needs must thread
 

Bongo Matt

Tenderfoot
Apr 18, 2009
70
0
Isle of Wight
In the sea I use a 20m monofilament gill net, definitly didnt go back to the rod, one problem with a gill net though is if you snag it on a rock and you have to cut part of it off, it will carry on fishing forever, pointlessly killing so make sure you have a snorkel handy just in case. Its great if you have a canoe or something.

I have tried long line with baited hooks but found the bait gone and no fish, think the swimmer crabs got there first. I would advise to get some of them collapsable crab/lobster pots advertised on ebay, ive got 3 and mainly catch prawns with them, with the odd extra lucky catch here and there but I heard they can be used for crayfish too but havent tried.

When I was working in Spain I bought a speargun for my time off in the med, now they are a lot of fun, you just need a rocky area where all the fish hide thats safe to snorkel in and away you go, just make sure that you buy one of those inflatable red bouys with a "divers in operation flag" so that other boats can see you clearly, and stay 15m or coser to the bouy. I think is a lot more environmentally friendly as there is no by-catch, you get the fish that you want (If ya can hit it that is) and leave the marine enviroment exactly as you found it, minus one or two fish of course.
 

Intertidal

Forager
Jan 26, 2008
123
0
Cornwall
Hi Pignut,
I wouldn't totally dismiss the rod and line. A lot of commercial fishermen down here in the SW are reverting to rod and line or handline fishing since the catch attracts premium prices.

I used to work a small boat full-time a few years ago, but now only for the pot - mostly handlining for mackeral/pollack, rod 'n line for bass, bit of longlining (<100 hooks) for conger (to salt and use as pot bait). I also go squid jigging in autumn and have 6 parlour pots to work through the summer for crabs lobsters spiders and velvets. I do a bit of scallop diving too.

Gill nets I would say are probably best left alone. Even when used by experienced fishermen, they are indiscriminate killers and will catch non-target species. Yes you can select by mesh size to an extent, but large mesh nets still catch small fish when they get a bar of a mesh across the mouth (I once had over 30 stone of pilchards in a 4.5 inch mesh mono net). The amount of small crabs that can get meshed at times is horrendous!

Long lining is an option, but down here is very prone to dogfish (they're everywhere here) Which is OK if you like dogfish, but I'm not a big fan.

Persevere with the rod would be my advice.

Intertidal
 
In Norway there's a very effective method of hand lining / trawling called "Utter Fiske" or "Otter Fishing" using a board, I think called an otter board (Scandinavian members will help me out here). I've seen this technique take literally a bucket full of small fish in an hour, from mountain lakes in Norway.
Two lines run from the stern of a small boat (rowing boat or canoe is fine, as VERY slow is best), to a small floating board with a sort of keel in the water. Pulling on these two lines controls the angle and movement of the board, just like a Peter Powell style stunt kite. As the board is at about 45 degrees, it naturally moves away from the boat as it is pulled through the water, rather than directly behind it.
Streaming from behind this board are several long "hand lines" with wet flies or small spinners. Now the Otter board can be directed out of the wake of the boat and right into the shallows, or under over hanging trees etc where small fish are lying.
I have also seen people walking along the shore and controlling the board so that it moves out from the shoreline.
Be warned though, this technique can be so efficient that in Norway it is banned in certain areas / at certain times, and in others areas requires a special more expensive fishing license or is reserved for local residents. Best check first!
Could be worth a go if allowed.
 
In Norway there's a very effective method of hand lining / trawling called "Utter Fiske" or "Otter Fishing" using a board, I think called an otter board (Scandinavian members will help me out here). I've seen this technique take literally a bucket full of small fish in an hour, from mountain lakes in Norway.
Two lines run from the stern of a small boat (rowing boat or canoe is fine, as VERY slow is best), to a small floating board with a sort of keel in the water. Pulling on these two lines controls the angle and movement of the board, just like a Peter Powell style stunt kite. As the board is at about 45 degrees, it naturally moves away from the boat as it is pulled through the water, rather than directly behind it.
Streaming from behind this board are several long "hand lines" with wet flies or small spinners. Now the Otter board can be directed out of the wake of the boat and right into the shallows, or under over hanging trees etc where small fish are lying.
I have also seen people walking along the shore and controlling the board so that it moves out from the shoreline.
Be warned though, this technique can be so efficient that in Norway it is banned in certain areas / at certain times, and in others areas requires a special more expensive fishing license or is reserved for local residents. Best check first!
Could be worth a go if allowed.

Looks like this in fact...
fisk.jpg
 

sapper1

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 3, 2008
2,572
1
swansea
The best method of food fishing is undoubtedly the long line.Set it out and go and relax or do something else,come back later when the tide has gone out,pick up the fish and cook and eat it. Very little effort for a good return.On the conservation side ,if the fish can get the hook in it's mouth it will ,and you'll catch a lot of undersize fish.If you are in a situation where food is your main priority for survival this is no problem.
 
if its a survival situation and you had to feed yourself then a Gill net is the way i would go

In a survival situation I am not bothered what species I eat as long as I eat.
In a survival situation I am not bothered if a fish is a protected Specie or not.

In a survival situation I would be more concerned with getting calories in my body.

Hope this helps
 

dogwood

Settler
Oct 16, 2008
501
0
San Francisco
I'm absolutely in the gill net camp if it comes to survival fishing. Or for that matter, if you've got to feed a group of people.

Cheap, effective, easy.

However, if you decide to practice with a gill net, make sure you check your local laws, they aren't legal everywhere. That wouldn't matter in a real survival situation, of course, but does for learning how to do it.
 

Bravo4

Nomad
Apr 14, 2009
473
0
54
New Mexico, USA
In a survival situation I am not bothered what species I eat as long as I eat.

Depends on location, seasonal factors, etc. Animal, vegetable, or mineral, sometimes yummy, sometimes upset the tummy. Species ID will be the key. Being in a tight spot and NOT becoming ill/injured is a top priority because of the nature of the 'tight spot'. First, do no harm.
 

ladanddad

Member
Mar 2, 2009
24
0
northern ireland
If you are worried about bycatch or others getting your catch first set the long line below low tide line. Fish obviously stay alive.

Circle hooks which I have not tried are supposed to hook fish in the mouth only allowing the release of under size or unwanted fish.

One method I want to try is the cast net watching on youtube they look effective and fun but probably more suitable to a base or permanant camp due to weight. I think they are legal in UK salt water but must check on this.

Hope this helps.
 

Tor helge

Settler
May 23, 2005
737
44
55
Northern Norway
www.torbygjordet.com
In Norway there's a very effective method of hand lining / trawling called "Utter Fiske" or "Otter Fishing" using a board, I think called an otter board (Scandinavian members will help me out here). I've seen this technique take literally a bucket full of small fish in an hour, from mountain lakes in Norway.
Two lines run from the stern of a small boat (rowing boat or canoe is fine, as VERY slow is best), to a small floating board with a sort of keel in the water. Pulling on these two lines controls the angle and movement of the board, just like a Peter Powell style stunt kite. As the board is at about 45 degrees, it naturally moves away from the boat as it is pulled through the water, rather than directly behind it.
Streaming from behind this board are several long "hand lines" with wet flies or small spinners. Now the Otter board can be directed out of the wake of the boat and right into the shallows, or under over hanging trees etc where small fish are lying.
I have also seen people walking along the shore and controlling the board so that it moves out from the shoreline.
Be warned though, this technique can be so efficient that in Norway it is banned in certain areas / at certain times, and in others areas requires a special more expensive fishing license or is reserved for local residents. Best check first!
Could be worth a go if allowed.

Only a small correction.
The otter board is controlled by one line only. Usually 5-10 fishing flies (double hook) are attached to this main line, not the board itself.
These board are easy to make yourself and fairly effective, but not as easy to use as it sounds, at least from shore. Never used it from a boat before.

Tor
 

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