Whenever you want to jump in the ocean, with the purpose of catching or shooting something to eat, I suggest that you take a lesson or two, from someone who knows how to. There are a few, but very important steps, that will instantly make you a better hunter/gatherer. All over the world, you should be able to find a decent dive-school or shop, where you can learn these first important steps. At dykkerbutikken.dk, situated near Aarhus (DK), we are a handful of teachers, ready to do just that. Here you can buy the full package – all the gear you need + at least 4 hours of proper instructions, at the location, on how to find and shoot/collect the fish/lobster/oysters/shellfish/seaweed/!! you want.
The bare necessities – mask, snorkel, knife, stringer, lead (I use ankle weights in the wintertime – with 7mm smooth skin socks, it is hard to keep your feet in the water).
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The very useful tools – buoy/float and torches in various sizes.
Kleinsub, is a Danish high quality brand, started by Jonas Klein. They handmake spearguns, fins and finblades. Besides that, they sell a variety of other quality uv-hunt related accessories.
I use the Kleinsub V2 carbon fins – they are light weight, medium hardness blade – set up, in a Pathos “Fireblade” footpocket, with the blade in a 24 degree angle. They have enough power to shoot up from the depth in a hurry, and they are vary comfortable to use for the long haul trips as well.
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FINS II
Kleinsub V3 carbon – soft
I recently purchased these. They are very comfortable to wear – a little bit less effective than the medium fins, but good for the long haul trips.
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FINS III
I do a lot of teaching, and for that I use my “diesel-fins” – Omer “Eagleray”. They are very durable, and it is ok for me to jump around, to adjust the clients masks/spearguns, stand on the stony bottom, and so on, without having to worry about them getting smashed.
I mainly use this fabulous carbon speargun – a prototype of the “Ragnarok diablo Fusion”. It is a rollergun, but with the opportunity to use it with different types of elastic band set up. I use it in a Fusion1 set up. That is 18mm bands (25,5cm) on the underside, and 20mm (18cm) on the upper side. Connected with 1,5mm Dyneema, instead of having one long rubber, reaching around on both sides. To make this possible, the Roisub head “PrismaTS” is used.
The gun is a 75’er, Sigalsub trigger, with a 8mm Sandvik spear. In the wintertime, where the rubber becomes a bit more stiff, I use the same speargun with a 6,5mm Sigalsub spear.
Most of the time, the gun is mounted with a Sigalsub reel – with about 30 meters 1,5mm dyneema. This is good for any “soft” fish, and for hunting on wrecks/piers etc..
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SPEARGUN II
I hunt in different settings – sometimes just along the beach or at a reef, but once in a while, I go on a pier, to see if I can get myself a cod or perhaps a mullet. I need a shorter speargun, that allows me to search the cracks and caves in the pier. For that, I use my old “Lanara 75” speargun. It ain’t broke, so I dont need to fix it – I have had it for many years … probably bought on a holiday trip to Greece. Equipped with 18mm elastic bands, it packs a quite ok punch, and threaded tip allows me to change the head, if I happen to hit the pier (through the fish, of course).
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SPEARGUN III
This is my go to gun no. 1, when hunting in low viz., on wrecks or tight aspetto/aguato on piers. It is also very good, when hunting seatrout at daytime – when you have to sneak up on the trout, and where you often have very little time to react.
The gun is a Pathos Laser Open Carbon 60 – equipped with a KMdive 40 reel, with about 30 meters 1,5mm dyneema.
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SPEARGUN IV – OR – THE FISHLOOP II
This is an odd one – but there is a good reason why it came to be:
In August 2019, it became illegal to hunt with a speargun/spear at night. It is still legal however, to hunt at night, using various other kinds of tools. You are allowed to use your hands, a fishing net, or other tools – as long as they aren’t mechanically driven/propelled, and as long as they aren’t “pointy”.
This “creature”, was invented, so that it would still be possible to catch pelagic fish – such as Sea trout, Sea bass, Mullet and Cod.
It has a loop, that allow the fish to swim through it – when you pull the trigger, the loop will tighten up in a spilt second, and gives you a very tight hold on the fish. When used correctly, you can catch any fish, that you can lure into the loop.
It is COLD in the wintertime in Denmark – so the solution is a thick (read: warm) neoprene, on both body, hands and feet.
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COLD WEATHER WETSUIT – 7,5mm Salvimar Nebula:
It is made of the wonderful “Yamamoto 39” neoprene. Made, amongst other things, of limestone. Even though it is almost like a 100% smooth skin, it is highly scratch resistant, because of the special surface, made by “burning” the very outer layer of the wetsuit.
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Occasionally, it is hot in Denmark too – so, in the summertime, I switch to a 5mm.
HOT WEATHERWETSUIT – 5mm Jak Boeno Thermoskin:
It too is made of the Yamamoto 39 neoprene.
I also have this suit in 7mm, which I use mainly in places, where the smooth skin Salvimar is to sensitive.
Nearly all pictures from my kitchen, features my old trusty cutting board. Nearly all the fish i catch, end up here. The board was a Christmas gift from my Dad, given to me many years ago. It was originally a left over piece of oakwood, from a kitchen table top – my Dad turned it into a cutting board – nice.
Besides my cutting board, the thing I use the most for preparing the fish, is my knife. A “Brusletto” – norwegian hi quality steel – 100 year jubilee edition.
Sune Rahbek's Spearfishing blog Denmark 