Who could catch a fish without tackle on a desert island?

laguna · Jan 8, 2020

If you were shipwrecked alone on a desert island and had nothing to eat, how would you catch your fish supper?

Assuming these are your only possessions;
1 pair of flip flops
1 pair of cord tied shorts
1 tee shirt

Natural Resources;
Coconut palms
Sand, dirt, rock
Grass and shrub
Fish
Sea
Fresh water

Go for it!

no-one in particular · Jan 8, 2020

I would make some line by weaving some coconut fibers together from the leaves or husk, find some thorns among the shrubs and some limpets for bait which I would have to knock off with a big stone. I would anchor them in the sand with a stone buried in the sand at low tide and go back the next low tide and hope a fish had hooked itself. Failing that I would find a sharp stick or sharpen one on the rocks and try and impale one in the shallows.
Or I might make a rubber sand-eel out of the flip-flop handles if I could whip a couple of thorns to it and drag it through the sea if I could make enough line of the fibers.

peter crabtree · Jan 8, 2020

Make a fish trap out of palm fronds and secure it with some rocks.
Maybe tie it down with the cord from the shorts. Shellfish as bait inside.

theartist · Jan 8, 2020

Take off the flip flops and wade out, then tread on a Weaver fish. The resulting pain stops you feeling hungry and you save said Weaver for sweet revenge supper later on.

theartist · Jan 8, 2020

Depending on your energy levels you could make a rock pool at high tide and see what gets stranded in it when it goes out.

Or wade across to Simon's island as he has plenty of Shellfish to eat as he's using them as bait

This thread is pretty fun I've already fashioned a fetching bikini top out of the coconuts in the hope of luring some Mermaid on Mermaid action in my mind, those girls have got to be good at catching fish too

Another Dave · Jan 8, 2020

Gorge hook made from coconut shell shrapnel.

Line from washed up pieces of nylon trawler net which adorn very beach in the world.

Float from a plastic bottle, these also adorn every beach in the world.

Initial bait would have to be shellfish. After that i would use fish guts and other pieces of fish such as the heads.

I'd keep making these rigs every time i found a bottle, and leave them tethered to rocks for some rather unsporting gorge fishing.

hague01 · Jan 8, 2020

Cant be bothered with all that.I would call the local fishmonger!

theartist · Jan 8, 2020

Ok where is everyone getting the Shellfish? so far Simon and Dave have them on their islands whilst I'm prancing about wearing a coconut bikini trying to attract mermaids while standing on Weaver fish.

Can we not just eat the shellfish or am I missing something?

mikench · Jan 8, 2020

I would wade out in the flip flops, do my best Des O'Connor impression and catch the disorientated fish in my shorts.

no-one in particular · Jan 8, 2020

theartist said:
Ok where is everyone getting the Shellfish? so far Simon and Dave have them on their islands whilst I'm prancing about wearing a coconut bikini trying to attract mermaids while standing on Weaver fish.

Can we not just eat the shellfish or am I missing something?

Trouble is I would have to eat fish as shellfish wouldn't give me enough energy to give you a good s********. unless I was delirious from weaver fish poisoning.

bullet · Jan 8, 2020

I'd use the flip flop......

YouTube

Another Dave · Jan 8, 2020

theartist said:
Ok where is everyone getting the Shellfish? so far Simon and Dave have them on their islands whilst I'm prancing about wearing a coconut bikini trying to attract mermaids while standing on Weaver fish.

I'm simply assuming there must be some invertebrates in the ecosystem to support fish.

theartist said:
Can we not just eat the shellfish or am I missing something?

And here I'm assuming that the OP will make me stay on the island until i amuse him sufficiently with my attempts to catch a real fish.

lambert1 · Jan 8, 2020

Catching fish is enough of a challenge as it is Chris! I would go Vegan, eat the Coconuts and drink the fresh water!

Aknib · Jan 8, 2020

I'd have a jog around in the flip flops for a couple of hours before lobbing 'em in the sea and gathering every gassed organism up within a fifty yard radius

theartist · Jan 9, 2020

Day 2 on the island and the rock pool has yielded nothing, to be fair it needs a bit of modding with larger rocks so I will do more on it as I have all day, I wasn't expecting any results overnight and any fish or crabs could easily got out of one of the gaps. It needs a lot of work i'll probably bring a rock or two down each time I go for water.

Living off of seaweed and coconuts isn't good neither was last nights lack of sleep so I'm collecting palm leaves to make a better shelter. There are fish out there but I am so tired.

I think making a coconut bikini was a bit daft last night but what was left in that washed up rum bottle sure tasted good. I wonder now if doing a drunken hula dance in coconuts and palm fronds was some sort of racial stereotype but then again there's no pc brigade here to tell me so - suddenly it's doesn't seem such a bad place to be

nottskev · Jan 9, 2020

It wasn't too hard to solve the original problem ( Markg's home-made braid, Another Dave's gorge hook, half coconut method-feeder, crab boillie, shorts-cord hooklength)

But the stone seatbox I made is too heavy to move and I need wheels to get it to the water

103841 · Jan 9, 2020

I’d just wait for another AnglingDirect to open.

laguna · Jan 10, 2020

I see The Artist is really getting into the spirit of it all, and is even thinking of extending his stay dressing up to attract erm... Merpeople?

Some good ideas...

#A gorge hook made from coconut shell shrapnel brilliant! :thumbs:

#Weaving coconut fibres together to make fishing line :thumbs:
You could have also used the fibres from the tee shirt if your knitting skills are poor like mine

#Building a rock pool to catch small fish and crabs for bait :thumbs:

#The flip flop lure to catch a tuna! brilliant (minus the superglue) :thumbs:

#Float made from a washed up plastic bottle. Not necessary, but it could prove useful according to Sting if you eventually want rescuing.

Assuming we used a piece of coconut on our fashioned gorge hook, or even a peeler crab caught from the rock pool as our bait.

Right, so fish caught and in the imaginary bag... Raw or cooked?

David Gane · Jan 10, 2020

Having watched Naked and Afraid, just spare me from having to share the island with an American "alpha" male or American female who thinks she can out-alpha him.

no-one in particular · Jan 10, 2020

I have found rod, reel and line washed up on a beach and watching Bear Grylls island thing they found a whole fishing net once except they still couldn't catch a fish with it.
I was assuming Laguana did not include beach debris or a knife, it was not in the list; how do you gouge out a hook from coconut shell without a knife?

Who could catch a fish without tackle on a desert island?

Well-known member

Well-known member

AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Banned

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member