Interesting technique but what the hell was that fish? It look like a massive garfish to me. I can't blame the girl for being a bit scared of it when she finally pulled it on the boat.
Unfair Game.
- Thread starter Wayland
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Interesting technique but what the hell was that fish? It look like a massive garfish to me. I can't blame the girl for being a bit scared of it when she finally pulled it on the boat.
When I go fishing in the bush I always take a gaff hook. At your destination you just cut a stick, knock the nail point in with a rock, and whip the shaft to the stick. These are invaluable for dealing with bigger fish on light lines.
http://www.gamefisherman.co.uk/shopscr72.html
They can also be used to gaff static fish such as pike in rivers, though you didn’t hear that from me. (You can catch river pike by a simple Para cord noose and a long stick. Just move the loop over their head with the stick, going down stream, they think it’s just debris, and pull tight once you get over the body.)
Why not try and make your own plugs, interesting little carving project, and really effective to boot. Look at these antiques and you can't go far wrong. The original rapala minnow was whittled from sticks in sweden.
http://www.mrlurebox.com/folkartlures.htm
Failing all that in the sea just get a metal spoon such as a Toby and make a 'casting' hand line from a nice peice of wood (like the streamlines one below ), off the rocks you will catch bass (make sure their legal size) and small Pollock/coalfish right under your feet.
http://www.streamlines.com/
just some things that have worked for me in a miss spent youth!
http://www.mrlurebox.com/folkartlures.htm
http://www.gamefisherman.co.uk/shopscr72.html
They can also be used to gaff static fish such as pike in rivers, though you didn’t hear that from me. (You can catch river pike by a simple Para cord noose and a long stick. Just move the loop over their head with the stick, going down stream, they think it’s just debris, and pull tight once you get over the body.)
Why not try and make your own plugs, interesting little carving project, and really effective to boot. Look at these antiques and you can't go far wrong. The original rapala minnow was whittled from sticks in sweden.
http://www.mrlurebox.com/folkartlures.htm
Failing all that in the sea just get a metal spoon such as a Toby and make a 'casting' hand line from a nice peice of wood (like the streamlines one below ), off the rocks you will catch bass (make sure their legal size) and small Pollock/coalfish right under your feet.
http://www.streamlines.com/
just some things that have worked for me in a miss spent youth!
http://www.mrlurebox.com/folkartlures.htm
When on canoe trips I make the gaff up on a short stout stick, with a paracord loop at the other end to go around the wrist. This is used to boat a big fish if you are going to keep it for dinner. You then use the stick as a ‘priest’ to quickly knock the fish dead humanely. (You don’t want an angry pike in your canoe for long, and they take a bit of killing, so it’s better to have the right tool to hand.)
God, I could talk all night about improvised fishing, the childhood memories are flooding back.
If you fancy getting wet, why not make an 'Hawaiian sling' spear gun. Very simple and easy to make, deadly for fish fish.I made a small one in my youth and got quite good a spearing small flounders in the estuary while on my hols.
Not used in the uk a great deal due to our balmy summers....
If you fancy getting wet, why not make an 'Hawaiian sling' spear gun. Very simple and easy to make, deadly for fish fish.I made a small one in my youth and got quite good a spearing small flounders in the estuary while on my hols.
Not used in the uk a great deal due to our balmy summers....
A very compact 1" mesh gill net is used on some farms to wrap haylege( half way between hay and silage) into round bales before covering it in green cling film.A net about 3M x 1M folds into your fist. They cost nowt and would cover most of the width of the average UK stream( in an emergency.)trout also have a liking for worms, especially brandlings. A very effective fly for most fish can be made by tying a red malibu feather to a wieghted hook,(splitshot with eyes painted on) Figure of eight through any stream and it usually gets a fish (allegedly)
As stated in my original post, this is an emergency kit for stowing with my canoe. A canoe that packs into a couple of bags designed to be carried by light aircraft into inaccessible places.
In Northern Norway I drove through a few places where it was clear that if I had an accident, it could be a very long time before help arrived.
A canoe is capable of going to much more isolated places and that is where I want this kind of kit for.
The information in this thread has so far been very helpful in planning such a kit.
I don't want this to become an argument so let's try and keep this on topic please.
I wasnt nor am i, trying to cause an argument. I was more suggesting that the mass praise of how efficient a gill net is, should perhaps be balanced with how destructive they are if used irresponsibly, and by irresponsibly, i mean any river, at any time other than a dire emergency.
As part of a survival kit, paddling through remote Norway, i dont think its a problem (tho i might personally swap the gill net for an EPIRB) but theres plenty of youngsters reading these forums who might well be tempted to try them out down the local river. and when they indiscriminately empty a stretch of river overnight, and hopefully get caught retrieving thier catch, hope thier fathers got deep pockets!
As part of a survival kit, paddling through remote Norway, i dont think its a problem (tho i might personally swap the gill net for an EPIRB) but theres plenty of youngsters reading these forums who might well be tempted to try them out down the local river. and when they indiscriminately empty a stretch of river overnight, and hopefully get caught retrieving thier catch, hope thier fathers got deep pockets!
Its certainly something I wouldn't recommend trying lightly with our already polluted and stuggling rivers, but fish poisons derived from plants were historically depended on by many tribes across the world.
I have heard of brazilian tribes who use poisons solely without knowledge of hooks or nets.
It should be done responsibly in fast flowing waters that allow the toxin to break down so it is not completly destructive.
A plant that was used for this purpose by poachers is Irish spurge. I think this plant is restricted to Ireland in distribuation however.
Horse chesnut and and soapwort were also used as they both contain alot of saponins.
Its knowledge that could be useful if one really was in a serious situation but should be used with great caution as it does kill/harm everything regardless of age or species.
I have heard of brazilian tribes who use poisons solely without knowledge of hooks or nets.
It should be done responsibly in fast flowing waters that allow the toxin to break down so it is not completly destructive.
A plant that was used for this purpose by poachers is Irish spurge. I think this plant is restricted to Ireland in distribuation however.
Horse chesnut and and soapwort were also used as they both contain alot of saponins.
Its knowledge that could be useful if one really was in a serious situation but should be used with great caution as it does kill/harm everything regardless of age or species.
Saddle Tramp,
As an angler, I understand where you are coming from; the use of gill nets has had some pretty devastating consequences around our coasts over the years. However, I would (and have been) first to stand up and defend the right to discuss options and actions for hypothetical situations, even if the implementation of those options was illegal in any situation. I'd rather be alive and facing prosecution than dead.
You do raise a very good point though. Why bother with any of this stuff when an EPIRB would solve ALL of your problems in one small piece of kit? After all, you may be too injured to be able to set a net or hunt for food.
I've looked at EPIRBs as both a sailor and a diver, but I'm more interested in the latter. Too many people going missing in the Red Sea for my liking. Anyhoos - it's slightly off topic as it doesn't pertain to Waylands original question but it is an interesting and valid aside.
Mark.
As an angler, I understand where you are coming from; the use of gill nets has had some pretty devastating consequences around our coasts over the years. However, I would (and have been) first to stand up and defend the right to discuss options and actions for hypothetical situations, even if the implementation of those options was illegal in any situation. I'd rather be alive and facing prosecution than dead.
You do raise a very good point though. Why bother with any of this stuff when an EPIRB would solve ALL of your problems in one small piece of kit? After all, you may be too injured to be able to set a net or hunt for food.
I've looked at EPIRBs as both a sailor and a diver, but I'm more interested in the latter. Too many people going missing in the Red Sea for my liking. Anyhoos - it's slightly off topic as it doesn't pertain to Waylands original question but it is an interesting and valid aside.
Mark.
No problem Saddle Tramp, I just know how fast threads like this can become slanging matches and want to nip anything like that in the bud as it were.
In fact I asked Tony whether it was alright to start the thread and I suspect he's hovering in the background ready to shut it down if it creeps into dodgy territory. Quite rightly.
Showing my ignorance, what is an EPIRB? (PM me if you don't want it broadcast on the forum for some reason.)
Ps. Ah.. got it now, a radio beacon.
Yes, very sensible, and ust the sort of thing I would consider for this type of trip, but things happen, stuff breaks down or gets lost in an emergency.
I've always preferred to have more than one option.
In fact I asked Tony whether it was alright to start the thread and I suspect he's hovering in the background ready to shut it down if it creeps into dodgy territory. Quite rightly.
Showing my ignorance, what is an EPIRB? (PM me if you don't want it broadcast on the forum for some reason.)
Ps. Ah.. got it now, a radio beacon.
Yes, very sensible, and ust the sort of thing I would consider for this type of trip, but things happen, stuff breaks down or gets lost in an emergency.
I've always preferred to have more than one option.
If you do go for a gill net (the wise choice) you may be wondering about it's set-up, you can of course just take a sheet of net and codge it up when needed with bouyancy like empty containers and weights like stones and the like, however a properly made-up net will be much better and easier to use and more efficient, you can use ''float-line'' for the top which is just cord with inserted bouyancy at intervals (this an alternative to normal floats and packs away neatly, though normal floats are fine but they must be bigger than mesh size to stop falling through meshes and becoming tangled), and for weight you can use ''lead-line'' attached to the bottom (just cord with string of beads of lead weights inserted inside cord), leadline is much better than individual weights as it eliminates any tangles, it comes in different weights and you need only the lightest which is not much heavier than the cord itself, the correct setting up is ratio of float versus weight so you can design it to be a surface fisher or bottom fisher, surface i feel is better for your needs, for super efficiency stick to monofilament, it's the best material, don't make the mistake of thinking net has to be strong, if your unfortunate enough to get it snagged it's better if it's weak enough to break with your pulling and then all you will have to do is maybe repair the odd mesh where it broke on retrieval, if it's too strong you may not be able to retrieve it if you can't break it free, it only needs to be strong enough to hold fish which weigh nothing while still in the water, 6lb or thereabouts breaking strain is adequate, properly set it will weigh very little and be very compact. Anything catched in a net can be retrieved and eaten, poison is very indiscriminate and kills everything and many dead fish are not retrieved and just lie dead rotting on the bottom, i would never use poison as i have seen poisoned rivers and the devastation is heart breaking and what eats the poisoned fish may also be poisoned, baits rely on fish feeding which if they are is fine, spearing is quite an acquired skill but works though you may go hungry in acquiring the skill needed if you don't have it. Used correctly in a survival situation you will not decimate the fish population as you will retrieve your net when your needs are fulfilled and all it catches can be eaten, and when you get out of there no trace will be left and no pollution left behind.
Thanks Joonsy, that's very helpful.
I agree with you on the poison front, I'd have to be extremely desperate to try that sort of thing and I think a gill net would be a much better step used properly.
Cannot stress enough that the whole idea is for emergencies only though.
EPIRB - Emergency Position Indicating Rescue Beacon
http://www.mcmurdo.co.uk/products/products.html?product_type=1&product_sector=1
Basically, if you trigger one of these, the world comes running. It transmits your position to satellite and rescue is centrally managed, wherever you are in the world.
EDIT:
To be strictly correct, we really mean a PLB - Personal Locating Beacon.
http://www.mcmurdo.co.uk/products/products.html?product_type=2&product_sector=1
Generally, all these items are referred to as EPIRBs.
http://www.mcmurdo.co.uk/products/products.html?product_type=1&product_sector=1
Basically, if you trigger one of these, the world comes running. It transmits your position to satellite and rescue is centrally managed, wherever you are in the world.
EDIT:
To be strictly correct, we really mean a PLB - Personal Locating Beacon.
http://www.mcmurdo.co.uk/products/products.html?product_type=2&product_sector=1
Generally, all these items are referred to as EPIRBs.
hey cool, glad we're all friends
and i openly admit to being equally fascinated by all the dodgy fishing methods too,
and i openly admit to being equally fascinated by all the dodgy fishing methods too,
Just popped into that pound shop I mentioned and bought a few of those lures.
One big hook + two small ones and a mixture of 13 different coloured jelly tails for a quid.
Bought two packs, after all, thirteen tails might be unlucky...
One big hook + two small ones and a mixture of 13 different coloured jelly tails for a quid.
Bought two packs, after all, thirteen tails might be unlucky...
The floats are neat, did you cut them down or was that the length they came?
What is the container?
What is the container?
The container came from a local camping shop, its about 4" long and 2" in diameter.
The floats are standard and from a tackle shop.
The weights, swivels, hooks and floats fit inside, and makes a very functional and compact fishing set. I have caught several fish with this. Of course I was out of the country in a distant land that allows hobo fishing when I tried it.
The floats are standard and from a tackle shop.
The weights, swivels, hooks and floats fit inside, and makes a very functional and compact fishing set. I have caught several fish with this. Of course I was out of the country in a distant land that allows hobo fishing when I tried it.
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