Fishing with a bow

[Harmonica]

Has anyone tried to catch fish using a bow and arrow? I had heard that this is legal in the UK (the only bowhunting which is legal here) and thought it sounded worth a try - i'm already a good enough shot to miss a few fish!!

Anyway has anyone tried this? Have you had any success (i bet its pretty tricky)? Is it in fact legal in the UK and are permits needed?

Many thanks

Harmonica

[Draven]

I tried it when I was a bairn.. about seven-eight years old.
Needless to say, I didn't catch squat!
There's definitely a technique to it, though.
From what I've heard, it's best to stand with the bow pointing directly downwards (err... spread your legs or you'll get a mighty sore foot) so that you don't miss due to refraction. I expect that a lot of experience fishing with a bow or harpoon could lend you the ability to judge the refraction relatively accurately, though.
I must be missing something though, because I've never been standing in the water and just had a fish swim around my feet... maybe you could bait your shoes I'd like to try it once I get back into archery...

[Kepis]

Fishing with any type of spear/bow on inland (Freshwater) venues is illegal in parts of the country, you need to check your local byelaws before attemting this style of fishing, you would also need to obtain the correct permissions from the Environment agency.

Not sure about spear/bow fishing in salt water, used to do it when i was a kid in the local salt water marshes for flat fish and mullet, but that was then, and this is now.

[geoff88]

I just hope you are correct and it is ok. Can't think that it is, sounds like too much fun to be having in Teflon Tony's police state.

Geoff

[Harmonica]

I just hope you are correct and it is ok. Can't think that it is, sounds like too much fun to be having in Teflon Tony's police state.

Geoff

You're probably right about that Geoff - all the fun stuff is banned!

[C_Claycomb]

People...please The laws on hunting with bows will have come in long before the present Party came to office. I am unaware of any bylaw arrangement that would permit a person to shoot inland fish with a bow. I have a feeling that this has been discussed, but it will probably take some digging around with "Search" to find the relevant discussion.

[Adi]

My mother is an American and as a girl her friends father taught her how to fish using bow and arrow, she was quite good by all accounts, taking part in competitions as a teenager.

She started to teach me when i was about 6 in Allerford river were i learnt all of my poaching skills but we never continued it after the local river authority warned her it was illegal

It didn't stop me poaching though

[Ed]

Is it in fact legal in the UK and are permits needed?

It is illegal to take any fish on freshwater with unlicensed equipment. Due to the fact that you can only get licenses for Rods and Nets, fishing with a bow is illegal by default.....


Ed

[bogflogger]

Fishing with a Bow is ILLEGAL and will quite rightly lead to you being Prosecuted for Poaching.

[RovingArcher]

Has anyone tried to catch fish using a bow and arrow? I had heard that this is legal in the UK (the only bowhunting which is legal here) and thought it sounded worth a try - i'm already a good enough shot to miss a few fish!!

Anyway has anyone tried this? Have you had any success (i bet its pretty tricky)? Is it in fact legal in the UK and are permits needed?

Many thanks

Harmonica

If you are able to bowfish, please do and when you miss, miss low and you might get yourself a fish.

[falling rain]

It is illegal to take any fish on freshwater with unlicensed equipment. Due to the fact that you can only get licenses for Rods and Nets, fishing with a bow is illegal by default.....


Ed

And I can't imagine it would be legal for sea fish either. as hunting with a bow is banned in the UK and I'd imagine that would include fish in the sea. Although people do use spear guns for fishing in the UK. I think I saw it on one of Huge furry whittlin' tools programmes. Besides it has to be said it is a method that would cause unnecessary suffering to the fish. Would you like to be impaled? I don't want to get into a debate about fish feeling pain and hooks etc. But a hook caught fish, quickly despatched if keeping it for food is a little more humane. IMO

[Grooveski]

If you're buying arrows from Quicks(and most other places over here sell the same ones) it's safer to drill a new hole behind the head.

Most of them come with a hole at the nock to tie the line onto. The hole should be at the head. If you leave it at the nock there is a risk of the line catching on the string and apparently on a bad day it can sproing the arrow back at you mid-flight. Not a pleasant thought!

[Kepis]

Extract from the sea fishery byelaws for the North West

" THE NATIONAL RIVERS AUTHORITY in exercise of its powers under Section 5 of the Sea Fisheries Regulation Act, 1966, as amended by the Sea Fisheries (Byelaw) Regulations 1985, the Salmon Act, 1986, and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf hereby make the following byelaw:-
Restrictions on Fishing

No person shall fish for sea fish:

a) in the Relevant Fisheries Area except by hook and line using a lure or bait on or attached to the hook;

b) in the Relevant Fisheries Area using any device calculated or designed to foul hook fish. Fish hooked otherwise than in the mouth shall be returned to the water as soon as practically possible and with as little injury as possible;

c) by any method inland of the Normal Tidal Limit. This provision shall not apply to sea fish caught whilst fishing under a licence issued subject to the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975."

I have spoken to the Environment Agency this morning, who confirm that Bow fishing in any form whether on land or in water is illegal in England, as far as fishing goes in both fresh & salt water environments bow or spear fishing is also illegal in England, however on the River Dee in Scotland you may use "(b) An instrument locally known as a Fluke Jabber or Spear not exceeding four feet six inches in width, used only by hand and from a boat;", copied from the River Dee Byelaws.

I for one would like to a spear that is four feet six inches wide

Hope this clarifies the situation.

[Doc]

A lot of snorkellers use spearguns to fish in the sea in the UK. There are websites openly promoting it, and equipment suppliers selling the kit. Just made me wonder if it really, definitely is illegal.

Inland bowfishing has come up before, and it looks to be illegal in the UK. As is bowhunting of course.

[Klenchblaize]

People...please The laws on hunting with bows will have come in long before the present Party came to office.

Quite so but they haven’t exactly reversed the trend!! Now, just who was in power in 1968?

[Grooveski]

Just dawned on me that the pre-drilled holes in the arrows will be for safety slides. Hadn't thought of it before because nowhere that sells the arrows in the UK sells safety slides to go with them.

[bambodoggy]

Extract from the sea fishery byelaws for the North West

" THE NATIONAL RIVERS AUTHORITY in exercise of its powers under Section 5 of the Sea Fisheries Regulation Act, 1966, as amended by the Sea Fisheries (Byelaw) Regulations 1985, the Salmon Act, 1986, and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf hereby make the following byelaw:-
Restrictions on Fishing

No person shall fish for sea fish:

a) in the Relevant Fisheries Area except by hook and line using a lure or bait on or attached to the hook;

b) in the Relevant Fisheries Area using any device calculated or designed to foul hook fish. Fish hooked otherwise than in the mouth shall be returned to the water as soon as practically possible and with as little injury as possible;

c) by any method inland of the Normal Tidal Limit. This provision shall not apply to sea fish caught whilst fishing under a licence issued subject to the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975."

I have spoken to the Environment Agency this morning, who confirm that Bow fishing in any form whether on land or in water is illegal in England, as far as fishing goes in both fresh & salt water environments bow or spear fishing is also illegal in England, however on the River Dee in Scotland you may use "(b) An instrument locally known as a Fluke Jabber or Spear not exceeding four feet six inches in width, used only by hand and from a boat;", copied from the River Dee Byelaws.

I for one would like to a spear that is four feet six inches wide

Hope this clarifies the situation.

So does that mean lobster pots are out then? and fishing with a net? If so that can only be a very local bye-law for a small parts of the North West surely?

I was always under the impression that you could fish with handlines and all other maner of items that aren't allowed in inland waters if you were sea fishing? Am I wrong?

Either way, you could just go off shore and outside our waters and then do what you like

Cheers,

Bam.

[Ed]

So does that mean lobster pots are out then? and fishing with a net? If so that can only be a very local bye-law for a small parts of the North West surely?

You can use nets (lobster pots are classed as netting)... see section 'c' you quoted above.... "This provision shall not apply to sea fish caught whilst fishing under a licence issued subject to the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975" .... which is the act dealing with net licenses.

I was always under the impression that you could fish with handlines and all other maner of items that aren't allowed in inland waters if you were sea fishing? Am I wrong?

Handlines are fine in the sea (in this area) due to the fact they are.... and i quote section "a" of the above "hook and line using a lure or bait on or attached to the hook"

It can bea bit of a mine field to get through....but I hope this makes some sense to you bam and cleared your point up

Ed

[Harmonica]

Thanks for all the responses guys and escpecially to Maver for his very thorough explanation

Think i'll stick to field archery then

[geoff88]

You may like to look at this.
http://www.bowhunting.net/artman/pub...wfishing.shtml
and this
http://www.bowhunting.net/artman/pub...shing101.shtml

Geoff

[bent-stick]

As far as I've been able to find out the countryside act refers to all wild animals and prohibits 'hunting with a bow, crossbow and explosives other than firearms ammunition'.

Are farmed fish wild?

[Ed]

As far as I've been able to find out the countryside act refers to all wild animals and prohibits 'hunting with a bow, crossbow and explosives other than firearms ammunition'.

You are quite right about the wildlife and countryside act of 1981, but seperate laws exist which cover fishing and freshwater animals.

Ed

[crazydave]

I think the bow/spear rules apply to freshwater as you cant spear crayfish for example. yet spearfishing is ok if you are in the sea.

I've bow hunted rabbits before the ban and even had a plug tip for my crossbow which basically punched then either dead or unconscious - you can buy fishing tips for bows and crossbows but I've never used one or investigated its legality.

I watched a gamekeeper punch a bored american milionaire once - I was doing a favour for a friend at a skeet competition - this fellow was bored waiting his thought he'd blast the salmon as they jumper the wier next to the field. he was a good shot but there wasn't much left worth eating.

[pierre girard]

Has anyone tried to catch fish using a bow and arrow? I had heard that this is legal in the UK (the only bowhunting which is legal here) and thought it sounded worth a try - i'm already a good enough shot to miss a few fish!!

Anyway has anyone tried this? Have you had any success (i bet its pretty tricky)? Is it in fact legal in the UK and are permits needed?

Many thanks

Harmonica

I've shot suckers with bow and arrow (and I'm not much with a bow and arrow). With suckers it is kind of like cheating. While I've never hit the sucker I was aiming at - they are in such a mass - you are bound to hit one of them.

No idea if this is legal in UK. Pretty sure it is legal here as you can also use a spear.

[Gravo]

And I can't imagine it would be legal for sea fish either. as hunting with a bow is banned in the UK and I'd imagine that would include fish in the sea. Although people do use spear guns for fishing in the UK. I think I saw it on one of Huge furry whittlin' tools programmes. Besides it has to be said it is a method that would cause unnecessary suffering to the fish. Would you like to be impaled? I don't want to get into a debate about fish feeling pain and hooks etc. But a hook caught fish, quickly despatched if keeping it for food is a little more humane. IMO

In contrast with many other fishing techniques like nets or lines, spearfishing is an extremely selective sport. The diver sees the fish before attempting to catch it and can therefore avoid taking small or immature fish. Furthermore, spearfishermen generally take only one fish per school as opposed to commercial fishermen who often take the whole school… Other fishing techniques also often result in tons of "by catch" thrown back in the ocean … dead. (see www.defra.gov.uk/fish/conserv.htm on the "by catch" problem). Spearfishermen do no such a thing and actually strongly condemn such wastes. Done responsibly breath-hold spearfishing could be one of the most environmental friendly and ecologically sound ways to bring fish to the table.
(from www.spearfishing.org.uk)