Guide · Food

Basic fishing

Fishing can provide good protein and fat, but it takes patience. Fishing is regulated in many places, often needing a licence and following set seasons and size limits. Outside a genuine emergency, follow local rules.

Where to find fish

In the shade of overhanging trees and banks.
Near rocks, fallen logs and weed beds.
Where a fast current meets slower water, and in deep pools below rapids.
In lakes, near inflowing streams and along drop-offs.
Fish feed most at dawn and dusk, and before storms.

Making simple gear

Line: fishing line, strong thread, dental floss or thin cord.

Hooks:

A bent safety pin.
A small nail or piece of wire, bent and sharpened.
A thorn or a small piece of bone, tied in the middle so it lodges sideways in the fish's mouth.

Float: a cork, a piece of dry stick or a bottle cap.

Weight: a small stone, a nut or a bolt tied above the hook.

Bait

Worms, grubs and insects found nearby work for most freshwater fish.
Small pieces of meat, fish guts or bread.
Look at what is around the water: fish usually eat what lives there.

Fishing

Tie the hook to the line, the weight about 30 cm above, and the float above that.
Thread bait onto the hook so the point is hidden.
Lower it gently into likely spots. Keep still and quiet, and keep your shadow off the water.
When the float dips, lift the line firmly but smoothly.

Setting lines

You can leave several baited lines tied to branches overnight. Check them often. Many places ban this outside an emergency.

Cleaning and cooking

Kill the fish quickly with a hard blow to the top of the head.
Cut along the belly, remove the guts and rinse in clean water.
Cook thoroughly until the flesh flakes and is opaque all the way through. Never eat freshwater fish raw: it can carry parasites.
Eat or preserve fish quickly. It spoils fast.

Safety

Don't fish from polluted water, near drains or industrial sites.
Shellfish and mussels gathered from the shore can carry toxins that cooking doesn't destroy. Avoid them unless local authorities say an area is safe.
Take care on slippery banks and ice. Cold water is dangerous.

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