Priest

[FearTheHands]

Need recommendations on buying a priest.

 

Up til now I've been using a wooden truncheon (kindly donated by a policeman friend).

 

Since I'm now pulling in larger fish for the plate I've found a few times I've had to use 2 or 3 blows to despatch the fish, so time to upgrade to a purpose made priest methinks.

 

I quite fancy the 6 inch long "fit in your pocket" jobbies but am just wondering if they are going to give enough leverage out of one, or would a longer 9 inch one do the job better ?

 

I assume it's the weighted end that does the job ?

[Spur-Hound]

I find the priests you buy are much less effective than home made, And i dont think ive ever had t dispatch a fish without giving it atleast 2 or 3 blows, I use an old metal seat pole of a bike, But have used the shop baught priests before(this was in my days of trouting) and have had bad experiences of them, Ive broke 2, Not a nice tale i know but i alwways will remember the last one i broke, Had givin the fish 2 jabs with it and the priest ltelarly exploded on its head, I had to finish it off with my fists

 

Never had any problems with good solid hom made ones, Hardl;y ever take fish home nowadays anyway,

 

The tackle shop baught priests even after about 6 blows the fish usualuy is none the wiser as to what has tickled them on the head...

[Rockling]

I use an 8" metal piston thingie that I picked it in a scrapyard many moons ago. It is solid stainless steel about 3/4" in diameter with a pre-drilled hole handy for a lanyard. One hit is all it takes; thankfully I rarely use it these days as I return everything unless I am in a comp. If it was an older policeman who gave you the truncheon it should work OK, those guys used to drill out the business end and fill it with lead! Ouch!

[Zigs]

broke my priest getting back into the car when kids locked keys in at west bay.

 

since then i have been mostly using "dogger stones"

[Tog]

I use a large steel 'salmon' priest / spoon (cheapo one!) had it 20 years & I'ts the dogs dodahs.

Tog

[Leon Roskilly]

What's wrong wiv an 'ammer?

 

TL - leon

[FearTheHands]

What is the purpose of the spoon btw ? :confused:

 

Seen a few priests with them ...

[Leon Roskilly]

FearTheHands:

What is the purpose of the spoon btw ? :confused:

 

Seen a few priests with them ...

Trout anglers can scoop out the fish's stomach content to see what flies they are feeding on.

 

Then they can select a pattern that mostly matches the fly that the trout are mostly taking, rather than trying to guess which of all the hatches that the trout has available is the one that the fish are preferring.

 

Tight Lines - leon

[Toerag]

Put the fish in a box or bag and leave it to die if there's no squeamish types around. Otherwise some plastic water pipe filled with lead should be good.

[Salar]

The guaranteed way to lose a priest is to spend money getting it. My truty freinds are always losing theirs, I still have the BSW spanner I started with 10 years ago. For the boat I use a 12" end of a boathook handle, but I've been advised (rightly) on this forum that a length of water pipe would do less damage to the deck if I missed

 

Any biologists out there? I think a fishes brain is in the nose area so make sure you are bashing the right part. If the brain is easily locatable, wouldn't it be better to poke it with the point of a knife? Perhaps the bio-folk can confirm.... :confused: