The high cost of equipment for spearfishing makes it an occupation for the few. But! For true lovers, a skinny wallet will not be an obstacle.
Spear hunting. How long has a simple diving kit been a fantasy. In the literature of that time, they gave advice on how to make a mask for scuba diving, bend the tube, glue the mouthpiece and fins from an old, car camera. But pretty soon masks, fins and snorkels became common items in sports stores. Scuba diving and hunting, as a sport for the masses, developed at an unprecedented pace and became very popular. Today, another trouble has appeared in sports, the high cost of equipment and, as a result, sport turns into an activity for a few.
Spearfishing is no exception. The cost of a wetsuit, cargo and spear guns has become so high that for many, such a hobby has become almost impossible.
But! For true lovers of spearfishing, a skinny wallet will not be an obstacle. After all, hunting can only be done in summer, in warm water. Then it is quite possible to do without wetsuits and other expensive things. It is enough to have only a mask and a snorkel, and a homemade spear-spear can easily replace an underwater gun. Such equipment is also convenient for travelers, there is no need to carry bulky equipment with you far away.
There is no need to rush to list the shortcomings of such a primitive weapon as a spear-spear. Professional guns also have a lot of drawbacks. The advantage of the spear, in addition to its cheapness, is that the handle of the spear can be used to check the voids between stones, under snags and in holes. After a miss, the hit (on the fish) can be repeated, much faster than a shot from the fastest-firing speargun. The long handle of the spear allows the hunter to keep the wounded fish at a safe distance and avoid injury from the poisonous thorns and teeth of dangerous fish. Again, you can control the force of the spear and use the spear where the gun would be useless. And the main advantage is independent and quick production in any convenient place.
Hunting methods with a spear-spear are basically the same as with a spear gun. Sometimes a ring of elastic rubber is attached to the blunt side of the handle of the spear, and by pulling the rubber at the right moment, the spear is released for a sharp blow. The impact distance is small, no more than 50-70 centimeters, but for most marine and freshwater fish this is quite enough. By the way, the famous Jacques IF Cousteau preferred underwater hunting with a spear rather than a gun.
To make a spear-spear, you need a stick for a shaft and a homemade tip. The pole stick can be cut in place. And for the manufacture of the simplest spearhead, you need a steel wire with a diameter of 3-5 millimeters, in pieces of 20-30 centimeters (2-5 pieces). The pieces of wire should be of the same length and, after appropriate revision, are simply tied like rods of a panicle to the shaft. You can, of course, weld the wire with a bundle to the tube and put the tube on the shaft. But it is difficult and such a tip is inconvenient to transport. Repair of such a tip is also difficult in field conditions.
It is much easier to make a spearhead using the following simplified technology. Bend one end of the wire (5-10 mm long) at a right angle, flatten the other end of the wire and grind a thorn with a hook with a file. Several of these modified wires are inserted with bent tips into the holes, in the recess around the spear shaft and are tied on top, in several turns, with a cord so that they do not crumble. Better yet, secure the wires by winding a thick layer of thread. There are many options. The wires are slightly bent to the sides of the shaft and the spear is ready.
Modified handpiece wires can be stored and transported in the tubing pouch. Such a simple set with a mask and a snorkel will take up little space and, on occasion, will help to take your soul away.
In summer, in some mountain, taiga and northern rivers, the water temperature rises to 26 degrees and in such warm and transparent water, hunting is a pleasure. In such water, all local, cold-loving fish from the salmon family: grayling, whitefish, lenoks and taimen are clustered near the ice springs that flow into the river.
For a hunter, it is better to climb a little higher along the river, from the spring, and swim, feel where the warm water of the river mixes with the icy water from the spring. So that during a hunting swim along this route, you do not jump into the icy water and catch a cold. The hunting process consists in the fact that while swimming by the stream, you choose any fish to your taste: from a tiny minnow to one and a half meter taimen, prick the fish and try to swim to the shore with the fish or stand on your feet. Can't you or did you accidentally let go of the prison? Not scary. Salmon fish are heavier than water in terms of specific gravity and the wooden spear-spear will stick out of the water, showing where your fish is. Hunting for catfish, pike, perch, carp, bream and other freshwater or sea fish with a spear-spear is almost no different from the usual hunting with an underwater gun.
But with a spear-spear, you can beat a fish among stones and snags without fear of losing or spoiling your weapon. You can lean on the spear shaft when leaving the water with a large wave and with the shaft, you can check suspicious places at the bottom so as not to step on a stingray or a sea urchin. On the spear shaft, you can again bring a decent fish home.
