View Full Version : Ancient fishing hooks
falling rain
27-10-2004, 11:25
an interesting bit of info and some good pictures
http://www.mustad.no/abouthooks/h_history.php
Nice ideas for carving - I might have to make a few out of ivory - for decoration
ever seen the Innuit cod lures? they were pushed to the bottom on a long pole and released, the cod being a rather stupid but curious fish follows the lure as it floats to the surface only to be met by a heavy club as its head reaches the surface, reminds me of the Mickey & Donald one with the chewing tobacco.
Realgar
i think ray mears made one of those on an older programme. it had a wooden body and four long 'fins' from the back that caused it to spin as it floated to the top. Ingeneous. it was carved like a wolf for some mythological meaning.
I'm always fascinated by these wonderful constructions but has anyone any experience of using them and actually catching fish ? (Don't mean to sound sceptical - just haven't met anyone who's succeeded).
Read an article in Antiquity on trials with a neolithic hook that worked well. this design was quite brutal - a thin sharpened sliver of bone attatched to a flexible piece of wood bent round and held with a catch. When the bait is taken, the catch comes loose and the wood springs straight ramming both ends of the 'hook' through the fishes head. It worked fine but made a right mess of the fish - not one for catch and release.
Realgar
you would have to be **** hot on your cordage making to use them wouldnt you.. even if making the hooks was second nature to you it would still take time and effort.. you dont want to lose them..