Basic Survival Gear - The Survival Fishing Kit

A good fishing kit should always be a part of your survival gear. It will afford you an additional opportunity to procure food. Most of the better, ready-made survival fishing kits are the mil-spec versions.  This is my personal survival fishing kit and is a Mil-Spec F-6218C. It was originally assembled in May of 1993 and is close to 20 years old. It is better shape than some of my current fishing gear and contains a high quality assortment of fishing gear.

Here is a picture of the contents of my survival fishing kit. The total weight of the kit is slightly more than 6 ounces. The penny was added as a size reference.

Here is a list of the contents of my survival fishing kit. All of the items fit neatly into the metal container which is sealed with 100 mph tape and kept in a separate water-proof container.

The kit also includes fishing instructions under survival conditions and a knot card with basic instructions for tying a variety of knots.

 A PDF version of the survival fishing instructions is available here:

 Fishing Kit Manual. PDF 

Grasshoppers and worms not included.

In a survival situation, it never hurts to do a little fishing while you are...

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Riverwalker's Pics - Home-Made Fish Trap

Making traps has always been an excellent means for catching food in a survival situation. While traps don't guarantee that you will catch food, some traps work better than others in this regard. Being able to make a simple fish trap is one example. A good fish trap is a simple but effective means of catching food that leaves you with time to do other things...gather fire wood, build a shelter, etc. You also have an opportunity to catch more fish than you might be able to otherwise with a line and a hook. 


The design of any trap plays an important part in how effective your trap will be. The home-made fish trap pictured above is but one example of a very effective fish trap. This one has entrances on all four sides and a small bait cage in the middle. This increases the opportunity for the fish to enter your trap. It is made from simple hardware cloth and a few clips to hold it together. 


While simple in its design, it is very effective in its purpose. Simple designs that work effectively are always a good choice when making traps.


Got fish trap?


Riverwalker

Fly Fishing on the Rio Pueblo

Rio Pueblo

While on a recent trip to new Mexico, there was some time to practice one of my favorite survival skills,,,fishing. Although a recent snow had the streams running faster than normal, we managed to catch a few trout. Although they were only about 10 to 12 inches, a couple of these trout would make a decent meal for one person. These trout were caught with worms dug up by the cabin. The trout in this area seem to have a preference for worms.

Here are some pics of the trout that were caught while fly fishing the Rio Pueblo. We did some fly fishing in a place called La Punta Canyon but didn't have any luck catching any fish there.

It was lucky that there were fishing licenses sold by the ski resort which was only about 10 miles away from the area. This saved me from having to make a long trip down off the mountain into the nearest town. The state of New Mexico has some very reasonable rates on their fishing licenses also that won't break your wallet.

Always like to practice my survival skills!

Got trout?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Survival Skills - Fishing - Part One

Fishing is not only a great recreational sport but it can also be a great survival skill. Unless you live in or get stuck in a desert or semi-arid region, you will probably be able to find a water source that can provide an excellent source of food if you have some basic fishing skills.

One of the basic skills when it comes to fishing is finding and using the appropriate bait. You will need something to entice those fish to bite your hook. Now you could carry a few artificial plastic worms or some simple jigs in your survival kit that could serve the same purpose but using natural forms of bait may mean the difference between catching a fish and just getting your hook wet.

Things like worms, grasshoppers and grubs make excellent bait for your hook and are generally easy to find in a survival situation. Using natural baits will usually increase your success rate of catching fish. Many times an abundance of natural food sources may make it more difficult to catch fish using artificial types of bait. Using natural food sources can make a difference in the amount of fish you may be able to catch.

Even though fishing is a great recreational activity, in a survival situation you will need to do more "catching" than fishing.

Got worms for bait?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Freezing Fish for Long Term Storage

Fishing is a great survival skill and something everyone should spend a little time doing. After all, practice makes perfect and there aren’t too many things that are more fun to practice than fishing, unless of course you’re pumping a few rounds through your 12 gauge shotgun. The main problem is that when you become proficient enough to catch a lot of fish; you can’t eat it all and need to put some up for later. One of the best ways to preserve your extra fish you’ve caught for later use is by freezing.

Fish won’t keep very long when frozen if you don’t take a little time to do it right. Just wrapping it in tin foil (save that for your hat!) or plastic wrap isn’t going to do you or your fish a lot of good. After a couple of months, it will hardly be worth cooking because much of the moisture and a lot of the flavor will be gone. This is due to the fish drying out because of what is usually referred to as “freezer burn”. The technical term for this is called sublimation.

Now if you weren’t paying attention in high school chemistry class you probably don’t remember what sublimation is all about. It’s simply a process where ice turns to water vapor without becoming water first. This is made even more difficult to control when freezing fresh meat items because most modern day freezers now have automatic defrosting mechanisms.

It’s not really a big secret on how to properly freeze your fish for long term storage and the technique can be used for other types of fresh meat as well. Simply clean, fillet and skin them as you normally would and it’s best to remove the heads and tails also. Then using a proper storage container for freezing food items, which can be easily purchased most anywhere, you are ready to freeze your fish.

The trick is to completely cover your fish with water in an appropriate container. Leave a little space at the top but make sure your fish are completely covered with water. You may want to tap the side of your container to make sure there aren’t any air bubbles trapped inside your container with the fish. Then freeze your storage container. It’s that simple! Your fish will be frozen in a solid block of ice that will prevent moisture lost, or freezer burn, and you will have fish that will retain its flavor for a year or more when frozen in this manner.

To prepare it for cooking simply let it thaw at room temperature in a colander or strainer which will allow the water to drain away as it thaws. After your frozen fish has completely thawed, simply pat it dry with some paper towels and prepare it according to your favorite recipe.

Staying above the frozen water line!

Riverwalker

Survival Skills - Fishing

Mrs. RW's Catch

Similar to hunting game animals, fishing originally came about as a way of supplying food for survival. Fishing is well known as far back as the Egyptians around 2000 BC and the Chinese have numerous historical references to fishing that date back to the 4th Century BC. Most ancient civilizations all have historical references to fishing. Today fishing is mainly a sport but can be an essential skill for your survival.

The majority of small survival kits include some type of equipment that enables a person to catch fish as a food source. A length of monofilament fishing line, a few split lead shot or ball sinkers and a few hooks of assorted sizes are found in almost every survival kit. Some even include some basic lures such as small spoons, jigs or plastic worms along with a couple of swivels and leaders.

Like all survival skills, obtaining skill at fishing takes practice and a lot of it. You also can spend time digging for live worms or grubs to use as bait while you’re waiting to be rescued by your friends. In a survival situation, fish are an excellent source of protein, as well as being quite tasty when grilled or smoked on your barrel smoker. You also get to learn additional skills such tying fishing knots like the Palomar knot.

In an emergency situation the rule book will probably be non-existent but you don’t need to be in a survival situation to enjoy fishing. It is a great way to spend time alone or with family and friends. It’s great for relieving tension and stress. You will also be much better off if you learn how to fish in a recreational capacity before you have to take a crash course in an emergency situation.

Be prepared with the essentials when you go fishing to get the greatest benefit and enjoyment from your fishing experience.

BTW, if you’d like to catch a bass like Mrs. RW did in the picture above, you can get some tips on catching bass here:

Bass Fishing Tips

Note: Always observe the local laws, rules and regulations for the area you are fishing. Also check if fishing licenses are required and stick to the catch limits and minimum sizes for the type of fish you will be catching.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker