fishing with a handline

Chris_Norden said:
As already mentioned, here in Australia handling is still really common. I learnt to fish with a handline (used to be able to get a rigged up plastic spool from almost every gas station for under $2) and nothing is quite like it. If the fish are less than a foot long (and a lot of the "bread and butter" fish are) I prefer the handline if I dont have to cast more than 15 yards. The feel is much better. But I find it impossible to handline with lures.

Tips? Same as using a rod/pole. Let the fish nibble and strike when you feel the weight of the fish or see the line run rather then a tug. If you can fish with a pole, you'll do fine with a handline.

For larger fish people used to used gloves so the line didn't cut or burn their hands.

BTW a great hobo real (much better than a can IMO) is a soft drink bottle. The centre-taper shape allows good casting and line holding, while the neck makes a good handle.
Good luck

Chris
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Not a bad idea - how's the casting with the tapered center?
 
myright said:
A long cane pole with a similar length of line attached to it would do well also but wouldn't work well at all with anything more than a bluegill depending on the size of the pole you are using and your knot skills.
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I'll just have to disagree too. Though, its true that your knot skills are important at the hook end and at the attachment end. I've never run the line down the pole like Runningboar has. I start with a clove hitch, wrap the line around the tip several times, and clove hitch again. Much the same as any lashing project. I've cought catfish, bream, crappy, and bass with a cane pole very efficiently.

BTW, if you consider yourself an outdoorsman and you can't tie a clove hitch, I'm laughing at you, and distancing myself from you in a survival situation.
 
Ive caught two fish with handlines. I was snorkeling , the fish didnt seem to pay me much attention. Got a hook , short piece of string, caught two crawdads as bait, and caught two smallmouths. I will recommend octopus hooks for this technique as well as limb lines, trot lines, jug lines,and throw lines.
 
WAAAAY better than a cane pole, can or bottle and easily had for about 20 bucks. I have caught loads of fish all around the world with that rig and it hasn't let me down yet and has a permanent spot in my ruck. Don't get me wrong, it does not handle like my favorite 6' shimano but it will get the job done. Endura is for size reference.

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Dang, I better get the vacuum out before the missus gets home. :o
 
Fiddleback said:
I'll just have to disagree too. Though, its true that your knot skills are important at the hook end and at the attachment end. I've never run the line down the pole like Runningboar has. I start with a clove hitch, wrap the line around the tip several times, and clove hitch again. Much the same as any lashing project. I've cought catfish, bream, crappy, and bass with a cane pole very efficiently.

BTW, if you consider yourself an outdoorsman and you can't tie a clove hitch, I'm laughing at you, and distancing myself from you in a survival situation.
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runningboar said:
I've ate a lot of catfish that would disagree.

When cane poling, or swarp fishing as my grandpa called it, the line is not just tied to the end of the pole, it is wrapped up the pole from the handle and tied off at the tip. Chris
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My cane pole fishing experience is pretty limited as I most always have a real pole with me or use a hand line.

I wasn't trying to claim that a cane pole is inefficient (i hope noone took it that way) at catching larger fish I merely wanted to point out that there are some factors that would cause you to fail at catching a larger fish with a cane pole, but these factors are near or the same as catching larger fish with most other set ups.

FB - I would have to agree about the clove hitch, I use it quite a bit.


Also - another thing to mention - Circle hooks work great with these methods because you don't really have to set them at all, the fish sets the hook itself - darn near :)
 
how do you cast a handline?? it would seem you have to unravel it and than throw it?? pardon my inexperience in this field...
 
RescueRiley said:
how do you cast a handline?? it would seem you have to unravel it and than throw it?? pardon my inexperience in this field...
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Pull some line off of what ever you have it wrapped on, a coke bottle is my favorite, swing the weighted, baited hook around like a lasso and let fly. Be sure to hold the bottle in your other hand and let the line spool off naturally. With a little practice it is easy as can be. Works real good with a float, and I agree with Dipbait on the circle hooks, practically set themselves. Chris
 
I used for a little while the big yellow plastic handle for flying kits,(saves wear & tear on hands from fishing)wind up the line by a rocking motion and for casting unwind a desired length and pitch it that is what I did...trial and error but if you could fly a kit with the handle and get the rocking motion down on letting out line or retrieve line it is simple with practice and becomes fun.
 
RescueRiley said:
how do you cast a handline?? it would seem you have to unravel it and than throw it?? pardon my inexperience in this field...
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Depends on what you are using as a bobbin. The kite shape texastonydobbs mentions is good in that it can be improvised in the field from a frame of sticks and and takes in a lot of line for a given rotation. It is also less likely to tangle. The down side is that you need to pay off line before you throw your sinker.

The coke bottle bobbins [or cans, whatever], mentioned here are different in that you can cast from them. Consider the two fundamental types of fishing reel. One spins on an axis either toward you or away from you. The other type is at 90 degrees to that, and essentially the line just pays off the edge when the cast is made. If you are careful about how you wind around your bobbin that second one is the one you are emulating. Not great, but even a few yards extra done like that is easier than having loads off line payed out in the breeze ready to throw your rig.
 
I'm certain fishing bores could elaborate on knots ad absurdum but it is not necessary. The simple rule is that you want to avoid line cutting through line – that's your weak spot.

Of all the fishing knots this is the one I think is the most simple and universal. Learn others like the blood knots and other knots if you will but this will do most things for you.


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Thats the knot I use.

No offense or anything Myright. Who gets offended talking about fishing! I always wonder at Les, and Bear for not setting up a shelter near a good spot, and fishing the days away.
 
runningboar said:
I guess I am a "fishing bore" but I definitely think you need a few more knots in your repertoire than just the improved clinch. Chris
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Ok dude, I'll bite ;-)

For when? I can think of joining two pieces of line, that's why I mentioned the blood knots, but given the context we are speaking of where does the necessity for anything else lay?
 
Fiddleback said:
Thats the knot I use.

No offense or anything Myright. Who gets offended talking about fishing! I always wonder at Les, and Bear for not setting up a shelter near a good spot, and fishing the days away.
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No offense taken at all - I just wanted to make sure I was clear that I wasn't putting down anyone's method.

I'm very open to criticism of my own methods and very open minded when it comes to new methods of doing things. That's why I'm here :thumbup:
 
baldtaco-II said:
Ok dude, I'll bite ;-)

For when? I can think of joining two pieces of line, that's why I mentioned the blood knots, but given the context we are speaking of where does the necessity for anything else lay?
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There is nothing to bite, I am not trolling, I don't like the blood knot but much prefer the double surgeons knot, much easier to tie and works great for joining two lines or adding tippet to your leader. I also like the palomar better than the clinch if your hook eye is large enough, for small eyes, like on flys, I used the improved clinch or the trilene knot, the surgeons loop along with the dropper loop are also very handy. If you fish with circle hooks or ever have to fashion your own hooks without an eye the snell knot is invaluable. All of these are very simple and very basic, anyone can learn to tie them very quickly. Ad nauseum

The improved clinch is probably the most basic and well known fishing knot but there are much better knots out there. Chris
 
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Bushman5 said:
Before it was banned in BC i used to handline as a kid/teen all the time. I'd wrap the line (about 8 - 10') around a short 6" stick, tie it off (this becomes the handle - fishline cuts hurt otherwise). I'd attach a float and a splitshot and the hook, cast it out, wait for the bobber to drop and yank, then walk up onto the bank with the fish
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I have used handlines to good effect for practice and caught many as a kid on cane poles. We were not allowed rod/reel until age 7.
Tying line to a stick and fishing is not illegal in B.C., providing you have a valid licence and are adhering to the regulations of the area. What you cannot do is leave the line unattended or tied off/anchored. It then becomes a set line/trot line etc, the exception is getting a permit for setline's for burbot in Northern B.C. They cannot force you to buy a fancy rod, just the licence and follow the rules.
If you need a bobber just whittle and tie a stick, if you need to get to the bottom use the tarp tie trick. Pebble/gravel in a piece of cloth or plastic and tie it closed with the line. It does'nt have to be pretty to work.
 
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runningboar said:
There is nothing to bite, I am not trolling, I don't like the blood knot but much prefer the double surgeons knot, much easier to tie and works great for joining two lines or adding tippet to your leader. I also like the palomar better than the clinch if your hook eye is large enough, for small eyes, like on flys, I used the improved clinch or the trilene knot, the surgeons loop along with the dropper loop are also very handy. If you fish with circle hooks or ever have to fashion your own hooks without an eye the snell knot is invaluable. All of these are very simple and very basic, anyone can learn to tie them very quickly. Ad nauseum

The improved clinch is probably the most basic and well known fishing knot but there are much better knots out there. Chris
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Whoa there amigo. For the benefit of the tape can we eradicate any notions of trolling from this exchange. Nothing so harsh ever occurred to me, delete that.

I think to some extent we are at cross purposes. Whilst I do recognize the usefulness of a wider range of knots for my part, and in the manner I have couched my responses to far, the entire hand line business is more about emergency use than sport fishing. I'm thinking in terms of basic “gets you in the game” fishing more than anything else. To my mind, provided someone can tie a single versatile fishing knot rather than ....who knows what, ...bowline? They're in business.

More sophisticated forms of fishing, perhaps with a small telescopic rod, is where I envisage the need for a wider range. In the kit I had with me in the pics above pretty much all of it was just hooks, sinkers and shot, swivels and snap links. All of it could be done with a single type of knot. That's the demarcating point I'm using for necessary.
 
OK, I see what you are saying.

Like snares, I think before someone thinks about a fishing kit in their gear they should buy the applicable permits and go practice. If you can't do it after a value meal at the local grease pit you probably won't be able to do it when your hungry. I don't think it is rocket science but if you can't even properly tie your hook to your line I think you have little hope of catching fish.

BTW for a fishing kit I think flys are the way to go, with some common patterns of dry and wet flys as well as a few nymphs I have never not been able to catch fish, admittedly they are sometimes pretty small, but better small than none. Flys never go bad, are very light and take up very little space and don't take very much skill to learn how to use effectively. I am talking about using them with a cane pole or limber switch and just dropping them in the water, not learning how to make a 50' roll cast. :D Chris
 
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