World's Strangest Fishing Techniques

[John Waldman]

Greetings,

 

I am an American fish biologist and writer, and an honorary member of your BASS Society, who is seeking help from your membership. I am 2/3 finished with a new book on the world's strangest and most clever fishing techniques from earliest history through the present, recreational, commercial, or otherwise. The only other criterion is that the techniques be repeatable--I am not looking for one-time gimmicks.

 

Right now I have about 80 topics, a sampling of which includes: electroshocking and blast fishing; fishwheels; Sulawesi spider web fishing; salmon-leap traps; natural poisons; Japanese ayu fishing; cormorant, otter, and remora fishing; jugging for catfish; bowfishing and shooting spawning pike with rifles; catching gar on hookless flies; hand fishing and tickling trout; etc.

 

I know you don't have my whole list but my general question is: is anyone aware of any really exotic approaches I might have missed?

 

Specifically, I am looking for details and also good anecdotes concerning some UK techniques, including: vingling for sand eels; slating; poling for mullet; and putchers.

 

Finally, I also would love to hear about approaches to fishing from tall cliffs.

 

I also can be reached directly at john@hudsonriver.org.

 

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

John Waldman

Hudson River Foundation

[kleinboet]

how about kite fishing?

[Guest sslatter]

Hi John..

 

Forgive me if you are already familiar with the fishing technique I'm about to describe, but a couple of years ago, I watched a UK documentary on TV, part of which concerned a certain island in Japan (the name escapes me) where there is a local ceremonial fishing technique, the practice of which I found extremely fascinating.

 

The anglers dress in their finest traditional ceremonial costume, robes and hats, position themselves at low tide by a mud flat, and using long bamboo poles with the line tied to the end of the pole, and on the end of the line a 2oz (approx)weight with a treble hook fixed "jagger" style, they watch for the tell-tale raising of a mud skipper's head above the gloop, and then, with the most fantastic skill, they swing out the weight, and foulhook the mud skipper, bringing it in, in one deft movement. Their skill at this has to be seen to be believed.

 

I've just done a very quick Google for "Japanese Mud Skipper fishing" and came up with nothing, but I'm sure a longer search will turn up trumps.

 

All the best with your book.

[kendo]

using string instead of a hook and bait for sailfish (bill fish)they become snagged when attacking the string it catches around their bill.

[chris parker]

I use a vingler for sandeel but I wouldn't say it was exotic, just backbreaking.

[JONNYX]

i once put my hand under a rock at low tide looking for crab and came out with a 6lb conger eel wrapped around my wrist but theres no way i'm gonna bloody repeat it.

[John E Ashford]

JONNYX

Did you fill your pants

[Leon Roskilly]

When there was a pier to be fished from at Herne Bay, Kent, anglers would attach a sheet of newspaper to their line and allow the wind blowing beneath the pier to cause the rig to act as a kite and take their bait out to sea, away from the pier, skimming the surface.

 

A great local technique for catching sea bass!

 

When I used to fish the mangroves near Cairns in Australia, mud-skippers would often be hooked.

 

If they dropped off the hook as they were swung in, they'd go skipping up the beach away from the water.

 

Chasing them around the beach before they could disappear into cover was hilarious to watch (if your ears didn't drop off because of the cursing that is!)

 

Not many anglers need to be able to run after their quarry as part of their fish landing technique.

 

Tight Lines - Leon Roskilly

[H.A.]

I once caught a boat with a Remora (little bass'turd wouldn't let go), only to see Rex Hunt repeat this feat ......

 

once 'clonked' a 500lbs tiger shark on the head as it attempted to wrench off skip's new, shining brass props.

 

Now we're on to something .....

 

River Seine in France .....local guides use a boomarang shaped hollowed out piece of wood to attract giant catfish. It 'clonks' when used by hand on the surface and definitely seems to attract these 'big cats' towards the livebait used under a float. They run up to 200lbs.

 

For a more informed opinion try posting your request here:

 

http://www.total-fishing.com/CoarseForum.asp

 

best wishes

 

Ada

[Alan Taylor]

CA class Destroyer in off the coast of Mombasa.

At night hang a lamp down the side of A gun turret, flying fish all over the deck bit bony but fresh fish on a 30 day patrol is worth its weight in gold.

 

Same destroyer in Mombasa harbour, a BIG shark was harrasing the little bum boats, the chief engineer and chief cook come up with this plan, they took a meat hook and a leg if iffy pork and tied it to the cable of the steam winch and trotted it down tide. Word soon got around and there was quite an audience of little boats waiting for a bite. Sure enough the shark took the bait, the brakes were used as you would the clutch on a fishing reel and about an hour later there was this massive shark on the deck. The natives cut it up for food and presented the jaws to the ships Captain who had it mounted in the trophy case.

A week later a strange smell was noted on Captains rounds, the source was located and the jaws were dumped over the side

 

Same Destroyer back on patrol and food getting low so the Captain asks for permission to do an Anti submarine firing with the Squids (squid shaped depth charges launched to land well ahead of the ship). A shoal of fish was located and stunned, this was immediately followed by a man over board exercise. The ships boats were launched and collected enough fish, Baracuda mainly, to feed the ships company for 2 days.

 

When I was a young lad my brother and I went eel boppin.

Equipment, a 6' whippy pole, 12' of string, a small stick about the size of a little finger, a few feet of wet darning wool, a needle and a bunch of worms.

Method, tie the string to the pole now tie the little stick to the other end. Tie the wet wool to the little stick, thread the needle on the other end of the wool. Now thread the needle through the worms and pass them up the wool until it is full or you run out of worms. Wrap this mess of worms and wool around the little stick until you have a sort of ball.

Execution, lower the ball into the water until the tip of the pole is just above the water and wait. You can feel the worms getting there inverted teeth caught up on the wool

Every thing was going to plan up till this stage, what complicated things was the river bank had bit of a slope to it, it was raining so a bit slippy and we took the dogs with us, 2 labrador pups about a year old

I slowly took up the tension on the line and then swung the ball up onto the bank above us then all hell let lose, there were four eels heading for us on there way back to the water, the dogs went mental chasing and barking at the eels, brother and I end up in a heap chasing the same eel, the dogs jumped on us (great game this think the dogs), the last eel was spotted entering the water by the dogs so they dived in (at least they were clean.

Result, eels 4 us 0.

Epitath, after a few choice words Mother has us scrubbed and changed before the old man got in

 

Aint life grand

 

Alan(nl

 

[ 09. April 2004, 03:27 PM: Message edited by: Alan Taylor ]