Primitive Fishing Kit

[Peter Remling]

Several times both here and on meranger.com the subject of a primitive fishing has come up so here's a quick run down of what you can use or make to complete your kit.

For fishing line the best thing is old linen fishing line. This is not readily available and you may have to do some searching to find it. I'd suggest your grandfather's old tacklebox or a garage sale. If you can't find linen go for some of the nylon fishing line that predates monofiliment. It looks and feels simliar to linen except it stretches a little more.

For primitive fishing hooks, you can buy some from a sutler or make your own out of some wire nails. To make them simply bend the tip or the nail and slowly move up the nail bending some more. You will want to bend it more then you think you should as the next step is hammering your hook semi flat (this will make is easier to snell and sharpen) and this will take some of the bend out of it. To snell your hook (putting that little backward claw to hold your fish once he's bitten, use a file or a pair of wire cutters to cut out a small notch. Then hammer or grind the nail head down so it forms the a letter T. The T top is what you tie your line onto.

For a bobber use a bottle cork with a hole for the line punched/drilled through it. Don't tie off the line simply loop it through the cork twice and draw the line tight so it starts to bite into the cork. This will allow you to adjust the line quickly when you want to try a different hook depth. You can use a small piece of wood as a bobber but having a cork gives you a good place to keep the fish hooks so they don't stick in your fingers when your hunting for something in your pouch.

For a weight use a small pebble, as pebbles are a pain to tie onto a line I suggest you make a small sack out of cloth, put the appropriate amount of weigh in, tie it off and cast.

For fish/frog spearheads simply use a piece of thin barstock steel/iron or even copper, cut or grind out the desired shape. You may get the idea to curve your edges but don't remember you are going to have to sharpen them in the woods and sharpening a small straight edge is a lot easier than sharpening a small curved one, at least with a stone it is. Don't pack a handle for your spears, just find a stick and mount it. If you're worried that you might loose a spear head drill a hole in it beneath the barbs and attach your fishing line. Even if your spearhead comes loose in a fish or lost at the bottom of a lake or stream you can simply reel it back in and remount it.

Chris mentioned nets. Nets and fishing traps are the most efficient way of catching fish but are illegal in most areas even with a fishing license.

[Willrett]

I found this and added to my wish list but its way down the list.

http://jas-townsend.com/product_info.ph ... cts_id=943

[Peter Remling]

You don't need a real fishing pole when you have a staff or a stick from the woods. The cork from your next bottle of wine or a small floatable stick from the ground. If you want handmade hooks, they are 3 for $6. A spool of linen thread isn't that expensive. You can make your own kit for less then $12. This is a substantial savings over the packaged kit you're looking at.

My point is, don't wait until you have enough money, that's never going to happen, start making/gathering what you can with what you've got.

If you can't get your gear in the order you want it, start getting it in the order it becomes available cost effectively.

[KerryTracker]

The two primitive fishing techniques that I teach are the fishing spear and the wooden fish hook.
The fishing spear can be made from any green wood, but Willow, or Vine Maple works well. Split the end about a foot down towards the handle. Then split one of your splits to make a three pronged spear. Drive pieces of wood in between each prong to widen the gap between them. Use primitive cordage to tie them into place. Carve sharp barbs on each split.
You will have to fire harden the tips so they don't break. Do this by burying the tip in sand near a roaring camp fire.

The wooden fish hook is simple to make. Carve a 6mm stick into a sharp point. Break it off at 5cm and sharpen the other end. Tie some primitive cordage that you made from bramble, nettle, or rootlets to the middle of this double pointed fish hook.
Then tie a stone about ten inches from the hook, put some bait on the hook and toss it into a stream.
The fish swallows the entire hook. Once it is in the belly, yank on the string. It will lodge sideways and not come out.

[Willrett]

All sounds good. I think Ill reconsider the set.

I have a order of importance of things however its not set and if I find a good deal (like my backpack for 15) then I buy and change my list.

[dwayne davis]

any one ever tried to make fish hooks out of finishing nails? they work pretty good,and if you are skilled enough you can even put a barb onto the point. you know to me at least half the fun of "rangering" is the survival aspect of it and making as much of youre own kit as you can. (remember young rangers when you make youre own kit, or as much as youre skills allow, you have the knowledge that you can do so again when ever needed.)

[Beornmann]

Here's even more primtive ways:
Wilderness Outfitters

I love Dave's vids. He's also has a Discovery show in the works.

[Le-Loup]

An excellent post Peter.
Here is my fishing tackle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n8SQlcVzUY

[Grimble Grumble]

My kit consists of a small handreel with a line attached and a corked compartment inside, a small tin containing hooks, lures, and weights, and a spool of waxed linen thread.
Not the easiest to cast, but it is convenient and has caught me many fish.

[RangerKellen]

So let's say that I'm out rangering and I've eaten all the food from my knapsack, and I'm really hungry. (just a theory ) Then I come across a large pond that obviously has fish/frogs in it. What are the chances I could catch something just by picking up a long stick, sharpening it with the end with my knife, and waiting by the water to stab something?

[Jonathan B.]

Not super great, I mean it's possible but you'd need a lot of luck and skill.

[Peter Remling]

Spear fishing isn't too difficult. At the very least you'll want to snell your spear. That would be putting a backwards nock on your spearhead so the fish won't slip off. Finding a large enough fish that close to shore is the issue.

The thing to remember and practice is that water will refract light so the fish directly under you will appear to be up to several feet away. The first thing you do is place your spear in the water and see where it appears to bend to.

You will have to compensate for this refraction.

[RangerKellen]

Oh okay thanks! I read a book not too long ago about a kid who survived a plane crash and he had to live on his own in the wilderness for a long time. He made a spear and couldn't get fish because he didn't compensate for the reflection of the light!

[Aaron]

Oh okay thanks! I read a book not too long ago about a kid who survived a plane crash and he had to live on his own in the wilderness for a long time. He made a spear and couldn't get fish because he didn't compensate for the reflection of the light!

Hatchet?

[RangerKellen]

Yeah and I also read the sequel!