Snare Fishing

by Tom Brown Jr.

One of the things I consider when I'm about to lay my trap line is a fish trap line. This is simple to accomplish along any stream or lake where saplings and trees come down to the water's edge. By simply baiting your skewer hook, which is a carved bone hook, and tying it to a snare line one can catch fish unattended. A sapling near the water's edge should be bent over and hooked with a rolling snare or a T-bar snare. The line containing the bait and hook can be thrown into the water, weighted down or placed on a float. In this way, when the fish swallows the bait and tugs to get away the skewer hook will lodge in his throat and automatically pull the rolling snare of T-bar snare trigger and set the trap. When the sapling is lifted, the fish will be pulled from the water and away from the ground. This way no predators or scavengers will come along and pick at your fish until you cut him down. Along any stream bank there can be a number of these baited snares that need little attention. It does not require a survivalist to use his precious time to watch a hook and line in the water or try to snag these fish by hand.
Another variation of this can be used when ice fishing. Simply cut a hole in the ice and use the weighted lever snare. By simply taking a Y stick and imbedding it into the ice, and using a lever weighted at one end to produce a spring stick affair, you can set the hook the same way. You do not have to use a rolling snare type of trigger, or a T-bar. All that is needed is a small hooked piece of wood. The line is put into the water and the hooked piece of wood holds the snare taut by clipping onto the side of the ice. Please refer to the illustration that accompanies this article:

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From The Tracker magazine, Summer 1982, published by the Tracker School.
For more articles from The Tracker magazine, visit the Tracker Trail website.