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Written by Norm Kidder
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The type of gear used to create a fish dinner is totally determined by
the type of fish, its habits, its size and the place you're catching
it. Deepwater fishing is very different than shallow water. Size
matters a lot. Spears function in at least three different ways -- stab
'em, grab 'em and pin 'em down. Harpoons stab into fish (or other
creatures) and have barbs to keep them from pulling out. With a toggle
harpoon, the end comes off and turns sideways inside the animal's body,
and is attached to the fisherman by a strong cord. Harpoons are best
suited for large animals, up to whales and fish, like salmon.
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A specialized spear grabs medium size fish of the trout / steelhead
size between a top point and two upwards angled points which slip past
the fishes body on flexible wood pieces and then lock the fish in. This
is called a Leister in England, but is found all over (a set of bone
pieces for one came out of a bayside Indian village site in
California). Once set up, this spear will only work on one size of fish.
The third type of spear works by pinning the fish to the bottom in
shallow water. This is what Tom Hanks appears to be using in the movie
"Cast Away", although he somehow makes it defy physics when he throws
it 30 feet and impales a fish. Multi-pointed gigs are also popular for
taking bullfrogs.
One of the big challenges with spears (and arrows) when fish are
underwater is refraction - the bending of light. The fish isn't where
it appears. To compensate, many spears and harpoons have two or more
points, so if one misses, then another might hit. A second technique is
to wait for a large fish to come to the surface before harpooning it.
Many people use torches at night to attract large ones to the surface.
A third approach is to keep the spear underwater and watch the "bent"
looking end to guide the thrust.
Most fishing in the "good old days" was done during runs, or migrations
when there were great numbers of fish to catch. During these events,
weirs were often set up to direct the fish to the spear. A weir is a
fence across a stream with one way through. Weirs were also used to
direct fish into traps or nets.
Traps work on basic fish psychology. Fish migrating upstream will go
upstream no matter what. Fish look for a way out of a trap by following
the edge. A fish at the end of a trap will turn along the trap, be
forced back around, but won't usually turn the sharp corner to get back
out. Shoreline traps made by stacking stones in the shallows use this
feature, and often use nested funnels to insure the fish stay put. A
limitation for weirs and traps is the speed of the water, which can rip
them apart. So learn your stream and think like a fish.
This article was first published in The Bulletin of Primitive Technology (Spring 2003, #25)
Thank you to Norm Kidder from www.primitiveways.com for providing this articl.
© Norm Kidder 2003
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