Fishing
Why This Matters Fish are the most accessible animal protein in almost any environment. Rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, coastlines, and tidal pools all hold food. Unlike hunting land game, fishing doesn’t require you to be fast, quiet, or strong — it requires patience and a little ingenuity. A single fish trap can produce calories day after day without you being present. If you’re near water, fishing should be your first food strategy.
What You Need
- Cordage (see Knots and Cordage)
- A sharp edge (knife, broken glass, sharp rock)
- Hooks: thorns, bone, safety pins, bent wire, carved wood, or any small curved hard material
- A long flexible stick or branch (for a rod)
- Bait: insects, worms, berries, small pieces of meat, shiny objects
- Rocks (for weirs)
- Flexible branches or saplings (for traps and nets)
- A container for your catch
Method 1: Improvised Hook and Line
The basic concept hasn’t changed in 40,000 years: put something sharp and baited in the water, wait for a fish to swallow it.
Making Hooks
Step 1. Thorn hooks. Find a large, strong thorn on a bush or tree (hawthorn, acacia, honey locust, rose). Break off a thorn with a small piece of branch attached to form a natural hook shape. The branch piece is where you tie your line.
Step 2. Bone hooks. Split a small bone lengthwise to get a thin splinter. Carve one end into a point. Carve a notch at the other end for your line. Curve it gently over heat (hold over a fire and bend slowly).
Step 3. Wire hooks. If you can scavenge wire (picture frame wire, bra underwire, paper clips, safety pins, electrical wire stripped to the metal), bend it into a J-shape with a barb filed or bent at the tip. This is the easiest method if wire is available.
Step 4. Gorge hook. This is the oldest hook design — not a curve but a straight piece of bone, wood, or thorn sharpened at both ends with the line tied to the middle. The fish swallows it lengthwise; when you pull, it turns sideways and catches in the throat. Crude but effective for larger fish.
Making Line
Step 5. The best improvised line materials, ranked by strength:
- Inner strands of paracord (if you have paracord, pull the white inner strings — each holds about 15 kg / 35 lbs)
- Braided plant-fiber cordage (reverse twist method from Knots and Cordage)
- Dental floss (surprisingly strong — 10+ kg test)
- Unraveled fabric threads braided together
- Long animal sinew (from tendons, dried and twisted)
Step 6. Tie your hook to the line using a clinch knot: pass the line through the hook eye (or around the notch), wrap the free end around the standing line 5 times, then pass it back through the first loop near the hook and pull tight.
Simple Rod Fishing
Step 7. Find a flexible branch or sapling 2–4 meters (7–13 feet) long. Green wood bends without breaking. This is your rod.
Step 8. Tie the line to the rod tip. Make the line roughly the same length as the rod.
Step 9. Add a weight 15–20 cm (6–8 inches) above the hook. A small stone wrapped in line or a chunk of lead works. The weight takes your bait down to where fish actually swim — not floating on the surface.
Step 10. Bait the hook. Best baits in order of effectiveness:
- Worms and grubs (dig in moist soil)
- Insects (crickets, grasshoppers, beetles)
- Small pieces of meat or fish (fish guts from your last catch)
- Berries or dough balls (for plant-eating fish)
- Shiny objects (tinfoil, metal flakes — attract predatory fish)
Step 11. Cast by swinging the rod and releasing the line toward the water. Let the baited hook sink. Hold the rod and wait. You’ll feel tugs and pulls — wait for a strong, sustained pull before lifting the rod sharply to set the hook.
Set multiple lines. Tie baited lines to flexible branches stuck in the bank (these are called “limb lines” or “trot lines”). Check every 30–60 minutes. One person can run 5–10 lines along a riverbank.
Method 2: Gill Net
A gill net is a wall of mesh in the water that catches fish by their gills as they try to swim through. It’s the most efficient passive fishing method.
Step 1. You need a large quantity of cordage. A basic net requires 20–50 meters (65–165 feet) of thin, strong line, depending on size.
Step 2. Determine mesh size based on your target fish. The mesh openings should be just large enough for the fish’s head to pass through but not its body:
- Small fish (minnow-size): 2 cm (3/4 inch) mesh
- Medium fish (trout-size): 5 cm (2 inch) mesh
- Large fish (bass/carp): 8–10 cm (3–4 inch) mesh
Step 3. To weave a net, stretch a top line (headline) between two supports. Tie vertical drop lines at intervals equal to your mesh width.
Step 4. Connect the drop lines horizontally with cross-ties at intervals equal to the mesh width, creating a grid of diamond or square openings. Use sheet bend knots at each junction — they hold without slipping.
Step 5. Attach small floats (bark pieces, sealed bottles, bundles of dry reeds) along the top line and small weights (stones) along the bottom line. This keeps the net vertical in the water.
Step 6. Set the net across a stream, across a narrows in a river, or along the shore of a lake. Anchor both ends with stakes or heavy rocks.
Step 7. Check the net every few hours. Remove fish carefully — they tangle in the mesh. Repair any holes immediately.
Net weaving takes hours but pays dividends for weeks. A well-made gill net is a long-term food-producing asset.
Method 3: Fish Trap (Weir)
A weir is a stone or wood structure in a stream that funnels fish into an enclosure they can’t escape. It works 24/7 without bait or line.
Step 1. Find a shallow section of a stream — ideally 30–60 cm (1–2 feet) deep with moderate current.
Step 2. Build two V-shaped walls from rocks, pointing downstream. The wide end of the V faces upstream (where fish are coming from). The narrow end should have an opening just wide enough for fish to pass through — about 15–20 cm (6–8 inches).
Step 3. Behind the narrow opening, build an enclosed pen or basket. This is the trap — fish swim through the funnel opening but can’t find their way back out because the entrance is narrow and they instinctively swim along the walls.
Step 4. The walls should extend from the stream bottom to above the waterline. Fill gaps between rocks with mud, sticks, or gravel — fish will escape through any gap larger than their body.
Step 5. For a basket trap (portable version): weave flexible branches into a cone or cylinder shape with a funnel entrance. The funnel narrows inward. Place the basket in a stream, weighed down with rocks, with the funnel opening facing upstream.
Step 6. Check the trap daily. Fish accumulate over time, especially during migration runs.
Best placement: Where streams narrow naturally, at the outflow of pools, or at bends where fish follow the current along the outer bank.
Method 4: Hand Fishing (Noodling)
Catching fish with bare hands. It works on bottom-dwelling fish that hide in holes, undercuts, and under rocks.
Step 1. Wade slowly into shallow, calm water. Move quietly — vibrations scare fish.
Step 2. Look for fish hiding spots: undercut banks, submerged logs, rock crevices, root tangles.
Step 3. Slowly reach into the hiding spot. Move your fingers gently to locate the fish by touch. Fish often stay still if you move slowly enough.
Step 4. When you feel a fish, slide your hand along its belly toward the gills. Grip firmly just behind the gill plates and lift quickly. Fish are slippery — commit to the grab.
Warning: In some regions, underwater holes are home to snapping turtles, water snakes, or eels. Know what lives in your water before sticking your hand into dark holes. If you feel something that isn’t smooth and scaled, withdraw slowly.
Method 5: Tidal Pool Harvesting
If you’re near the coast, tidal pools are grocery stores.
Step 1. Visit tidal pools at low tide. As the tide recedes, fish, crabs, shrimp, mussels, and other marine life get trapped in pools.
Step 2. Small fish trapped in pools can be chased into corners and scooped by hand or with an improvised net (shirt stretched between two sticks).
Step 3. Mussels, limpets, and periwinkles cling to rocks. Pry them off with a knife or flat rock. They’re edible raw or cooked.
Step 4. Crabs hide under rocks. Lift rocks, grab crabs from behind (behind the claws) to avoid getting pinched.
Step 5. Cook all shellfish. Raw shellfish carry parasites and bacteria. Boil, steam, or roast until shells open and flesh is opaque.
Method 6: Spearfishing
Effective in clear, shallow water — especially for larger fish.
Step 1. Make a fishing spear. Use a straight, light pole (2–3 meters / 7–10 feet). Split the end into 2–4 prongs by carving splits about 15 cm (6 inches) deep. Spread the prongs apart with a small wedge and lash below the split to prevent further splitting.
Step 2. Sharpen each prong. Fire-harden the tips (hold over coals and rotate — see Hunting and Trapping).
Step 3. Refraction rule: Water bends light. A fish appears to be in a slightly different position than it actually is. Aim lower than where the fish appears to be. For a fish that looks 30 cm deep, aim about 25% lower.
Step 4. Wade into position slowly. No sudden movements. Stand still and let fish approach or settle.
Step 5. Strike with a fast, straight downward thrust. Pin the fish to the bottom. Don’t throw the spear — you’ll lose it and miss.
Cleaning and Gutting Fish
Process fish immediately after catching — they spoil faster than any other meat.
Step 1. Kill humanely. A sharp blow to the top of the head between the eyes. Quick and certain.
Step 2. Scale the fish (if it has scales). Hold the tail and scrape from tail to head with the back of a knife, a shell, or a rough rock. Scales fly everywhere — do this outdoors.
Step 3. Gut the fish. Insert the knife tip into the belly near the vent (the small hole near the tail) and cut forward to just below the gills. Shallow cuts — don’t go deep.
Step 4. Pull out the guts. Scrape along the spine to remove the dark bloodline (kidney). Rinse the cavity in clean water.
Step 5. Remove gills by cutting or pulling them out — they spoil fastest and impart a bitter taste.
Step 6. Cook immediately, or preserve using drying, smoking, or salting (see Food Preservation).
Identifying Safe vs. Dangerous Fish
Most freshwater fish are safe to eat. Saltwater requires more caution.
General rules:
- Fish with scales are almost always safe to eat (when cooked).
- Fish without scales (catfish, eels) are usually safe but more likely to carry parasites — always cook thoroughly.
- Puffer fish (blowfish) — round, inflate when threatened — contain tetrodotoxin. Deadly. Never eat.
- Fish near coral reefs in tropical waters may carry ciguatera toxin. Avoid very large reef fish (barracuda, large grouper, moray eel) in tropical waters.
- Shellfish from polluted water or during red tide (algal bloom, water appears reddish) — toxic. Avoid.
- If it has spines, bright colors, a beak-like mouth, or puffs up — don’t eat it.
When in doubt: Cook everything thoroughly. Most parasites and bacteria die at 70°C (160°F) internal temperature. Smoking and salting add extra safety.
Common Mistakes
- Fishing at the wrong time. Fish feed most actively at dawn and dusk. Midday is the worst time. Night fishing with bait can be excellent.
- Using line that’s too visible. Clear or thin line catches more fish. If your cordage is thick and dark, fish will see it and avoid it. Use the thinnest, lightest line you can manage.
- Setting the hook too early. When you feel a nibble, wait. Let the fish take the bait fully. Set the hook (pull firmly) on a strong, sustained pull — not on the first tap.
- Forgetting about refraction. Aim lower than the fish appears when spearfishing. This is the number-one spearfishing mistake.
- Not anchoring traps and nets. Current will push your gear downstream. Weight everything down. Stake everything in place.
- Eating raw freshwater fish. Freshwater fish commonly carry parasites (tapeworms, flukes). Always cook freshwater fish. Some saltwater fish can be eaten raw if very fresh, but when in doubt, cook.
- Throwing away fish heads and guts. Fish heads make excellent bait for your next catch or for crab traps. Guts can bait traps too. Use everything.
- Building a weir too loosely. Any gap is an exit. Pack rocks tightly and fill gaps with mud and gravel.
What’s Next
With a reliable fish supply, you can:
- Preserve your catch for later — Food Preservation
- Build fish ponds for farming — Aquaculture
- Trade dried fish as a valuable commodity — Trade
- Improve your nets and traps with better cordage — Knots and Cordage
Quick Reference Card
Methods Ranked by Efficiency
| Method | Effort | Yield | Works Passively? | Best Water Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fish trap/weir | High (build once) | High (ongoing) | Yes | Streams, rivers |
| Gill net | High (weave once) | High (ongoing) | Yes | Rivers, lakes, coast |
| Multiple hook lines | Low | Moderate | Semi (check hourly) | Rivers, lakes, ponds |
| Rod and line | Low | Low–moderate | No | Anywhere |
| Spearfishing | Low | Low–moderate | No | Clear, shallow water |
| Hand fishing | None | Low | No | Calm shallows, holes |
| Tidal pool | None | Moderate | No | Coastline at low tide |
Fish Safety Quick Check
| Feature | Safe? |
|---|---|
| Has scales | Almost always yes (cook it) |
| No scales | Usually yes (cook thoroughly) |
| Puffs up / inflates | NO — deadly toxin |
| Bright colors + spines | NO — likely venomous |
| Large tropical reef fish | Risky — ciguatera |
| Shellfish in red/brown water | NO — algal toxin |
The one rule: Passive methods beat active methods. Build a trap or set a net, then go do something else. Your time is better spent on shelter, fire, and water while the fish catch themselves.