Selachophobia: Shark Fear - A brief history

An interesting article on Selacnophobia - the fear of sharks.

Water, Water, Everywhere...

I am in the throes of compiling over 500 quotations and aphorisms on fishing, fishermen, rivers, sea, boats and the whole damn thing, to go on my website. One particular quote has been rattling around the dark recesses of my mind and it won't seem to go away - "If you want to know the priorities of a nation and the effectiveness of their government, test their water quality." - Jim Slinsky.

It is just so simple a judgement. Water is absolutely fundamental to human life that anything that reduces or contaminates this precious resource, contaminates our very existence. Yet all of us who fish in rivers, streams, lakes, or ponds are confronted on each trip with the clear, irrefutable evidence of of the harm we are doing to our water supplies.

Rubbish in the water, on the banks, on the foreshore. Run-off from farms containing fertiliser and animal excrement that feeds explosive growth in weed, choking streams, rivers and lakes, growth that alters natures balance. Industrial waste literally poisoning the water supply. The cutting down of native trees to make way for pine forests, poisoning the water with tannin and chemical fertilisers. Allowing the use of weed killing chemicals in catchment areas adding more poison to the system. Allowing the "development" of lake foreshores - too often leading to waste products leaching into the water - "development" indeed, bah and humbug!

Many Governments, local and national, claim that it is economically unfeasible to police contamination of waterways, except in the instances of gross pollution. One could hope that these same Governments could explain the economic gains that might be made by spending money on making water fit to drink.

Unfortunately the problem is growing exponentially. Water quality around the world is declining at an ever increasing rate - the cost of processing that water to make it drinkable is also increasing at an ever upward spiralling rate. How long will it be for Governments abrogate their accountabilities altogether and leave it up to households to treat their own drinking water, or buy it in bottled form? This unpalatable fact is now very wide-spread around the world.

So why has this quote struck such a chord in me? I guess it is because the simplicity of the notion reveals, to me at least, how far the people who govern us have retreated from the notions of governing in the best interests of the people, for the good of the people - and how far they have retreated from any concern over the basics that determine our well-being at the most fundamental level, the water we drink and the air we breath.

But then of course the famous 'they', the Government, is us. That sad fact whacks me around the ears just thinking about it!

Shark Fishing Contest - Good or Bad?

This story about a shark fishing contest in the USA, is one of the best balanced stories I have read on the vexed subject of killing sharks for competition success. Well worth a read.

Marlin 'attacks' fisherman

Full story of a marlin coming half over the transom and dealing to the angler in the chair.
Video is available on this page too.

Saying a slow goodbye to Jaws

This article says that if shark harvesting continues at its present rate, the big sharks, White, Mako, Tiger, Thresher, and more will be extinct in 25 to 30 years.

5 Rules for Releasing Fish

Most thinking fishermen will be aware of the need to release at least some fish - those that are undersized, or surplus to immediate requirements spring to mind, and for some anglers, releasing fish as a matter of course. But there are 'rules' for releasing fish that will ensure the fish has the greatest chance of surviving.

Rule 1: Speed Does Not Kill
The faster you can get a fish to the boat or shore the better its chances of survival. The longer the fight the less chance the fish has of surviving.
It is likely that the survival rates decrease exponentially as fight time increases. That is as fight-time goes up, survival chances decrease at an ever increasing rate. If you fish on a catch-and-release basis you should use gear that will minimise the fight time.

Rule 2: Get Wet
Lifting a fish out of the water, decreases its survival chances. The longer a fish is out of the water its chances of survival decrease expotentially. Try and remove the hook while the fish is in the water.

If it is not possible to remove the hook while the fish is still in the water use a landing-net with wide mesh, and a mesh made out of soft material. Rough, hard netting will remove slime and scales from the fish, which is its natural protection against parasites and infection.

On bigger fish, it may be necessary to use a gaff. If so, try and gaff the fish from inside the mouth and out the lower jaw. Lay the fish on a wet towel or cloth while the hook is removed - covering the fish's eyes often helps to calm it down.

If you must touch the fish make sure your hands are wet or use a wet cloth or wet gloves between you and the fish. Make sure that at no time are the fish's gills touched, they are extremely delicate and just touching them can damage them.

Rule 3: Unhook Quickly
The longer you take over hook removal, the less the chances of the fishes survival. The less care you take over removing the hook, the less chance of the fish surviving.

Use a pair of forceps, long-nosed pliers, or a purpose made hook-out to quickly and efficiently remove the hook. If the fish is deeply hooked back in the throat or stomach cut the line as close to the hook as possible and leave the hook in the fish - it will probably do more damage trying to remove a deep hook than leaving it where it is.

Barbless hooks are also much easier to remove and do far less damage. You can flatten a barb with parable jawed pliers. Avoid using treble or double hooks - these can really damage a fish, and can be very hard to remove.

If you are saltwater fishing try using circle hooks, which hook up most often in the corner of the jaw, and are much easier to remove.

Rule 4: No Throwing
Throwing a fish back into the water is likely to greatly decrease the fish's chances of survival. The major problem with tossing a fish back into the water is that the fish will go into shock, and float belly-up. In the sea this is an open invitation to predators. In a river the current will take the fish downstream and away from any chance of reviving it.
It is always better to hold the fish in the water, until it moves off of its own accord. In a boat have the boat move slowly ahead while the fish is held, in a river hold the fish into the current. In both situations the fish will indicate it is OK by swimming out of your hands.

Rule 5: Avoid Photo Folly
If you must take a photo do it very quickly - remember every second the fish is out of water is reducing the chances of its survival.
Make sure the 'happy angler' has wet hands and holds the fish just in front of the tail and under the gill latch - never, ever, not even once, put a hand under the gill covers. Do not hold a hand under the stomach area, this will damage internal organs.
Don't pose and shoot - taking one shot, then reposing the shot and taking another, and so on will add to the time the fish is out of the water. Instead, just get the photographer to fire off a rapid series of ten or twelve shots in very quick succession - this is what the professionals do, and it is the reason they get better shots.

By Bish

New Fly-line: "Chuck and Duck"

Jim Teeny has his own range of fly-lines, but the ones that are of special interest to me are his sink-tip lines. I have used his sink-tip lines for years because they really do sink like a rocket - used for wet fly fishing on big rivers like the Tongariro they were superb for covering the water, and getting to the bottom really fast. They had one draw back though, they were absolute brutes to cast and gave new meaning to the term "chuck and duck". I tried using these lines for nymph fishing, but found I lost too much line control and could not control the drift. That was because I did not know enough to fish them properly. Now Jim has introduced the aptly named 'Chuckand Duck' line. It has a shorter sink-tip, just 8', but more weight in the tip. It looks as if it will be great for reaching the bottom on bigger, swiftly flowing rivers, and is ideal for fishing big water and fishing for salmon with a fly. Using a nymph means casting only slightly upstream, then immediately throwing in several up-stream mends, allowing the tip and fly to sink, then as the line tightens, swing across the river or pool - which actually is not a great deal different to fishing a wet fly. It is a very efficient way of covering the water. But, and it is a big but, this lines are a genuine pig to cast, which Jim Teeny makes clear. The best way is to roll cast the tip up onto the surface of the water, then make just ONE backcast and immediately go into the forward cast and send the line on its way. Trying to false cast will end in tears, with your line around your ears at best, a fly in you ear at worst.

- By Bish