Letter Re: Fishing for Survival

Good morning. I’m an avid Survival Blog reader. I live in bush Alaska and live a largely subsistence life. I read this article with interest and would like to make a couple of suggestions in regards to fishing for survival. In my part of the country, I can legally use a gill net for subsistence purposes. This can either be done as a set net and checked later, or as a drift net, or seine. They are very efficient. Next would be a fish trap. This is a simple device that can be submerged in the water. The fish swim in and can not swim out. There are a number of ways to make these at home, out of a variety of materials, but here is a compact commercially-available one. Promar Collapsible Minnow Traps available from Cabelas or Amazon is a good one. I use the large one and it can also hold otter, mink, and muskrats in addition to fish. I know these two devices are not particularly portable, but when I think of procuring food in a survival situation. I think of energy expended verses energy gained. Both of these are very low-energy investments with the potential for a large gain. -Countrygirl

HJL Adds: It is important to remember, fishing for survival is different than fishing for sport. When fishing for survival, the rules go out the window. Nets, traps and other accouterments have a higher success rate than hooks. However, you must be aware of the local laws when practicing.