Tony Bishop

Fishy Smells – Get Rid of Them

The Number 1 Question Asked on This Site!
Fishing Smells – how do you get rid of them?

The smell of fish and fishing really gets some people going – and at the risk of being sexist it is usually at its most strident when female partners are involved in the discussions.

Getting the smell off hands, etc is best done with any lemon scented soap or a mild dose of lemon detergent. Clothes are best attacked with good old NappiSan or any oxygen bleach, give them a soak first.

But the very best thing of all for removing fishy smells from body, boat, clothes and children is “Simple Green”. It can take a bit of finding, but it does a great job.

Trout fishermen are well advised to take a small flask of Simple Green in their fly fishing vest – it gets rid of the smell and residue of insect repellant and sunscreen – both of which you don’t want on your flies or leaders.

Just One Other Thing (And it Is Important):

If you are preparing fish to eat and it has a strong fishy smell, it means the fish has not been cared for properly, and it is unfit for consumption – see this and this

Posted by Tony Bishop in Articles and stories on fishing in general

Belt Up When Wading

In your book “Fishing Smarter for Trout”, chapter on Night Fishing , page 125, You mention wearing a tight belt around the outside of your waders. Why? The book that spawned the question : Fishing Smarter for Trout

My First answer:

Wearing a belt round waders helps stop water running into your waders when you first fall in, in a river. If you do get washed away after you fall in the air trapped in the waders will greatly help to keep you afloat. Then you can concentrate on getting and keeping your feet facing downstream, and moving yourself as quickly as possible to shore by moving across the flow, (never try to go up against the flow).

The next question:

Thanks for your reply, it created quite a good discussion and questions at work regarding the use of a belt with waders for safety reasons. We agree with your idea of using a belt if one is wearing PVC type waders. But if the fisherman were wearing the Neoprene type, would he still need to use a belt? I was under the impression that these Neoprene waders float no matter what, possibly a wrong assumption.

Next answer:

Your comments about PVC or Gortex type waders are spot on – you should always wear a belt with these waders. In fact the better quality waders of this type come with a belt built in.
Neoprene does float, but its ability to support the body depends on the amount of clothes the dunkee is wearing. In any event it is not the floatation that is usually the most pressing issue – but safety from getting knocked about on rocks, trees, etc. Waders full of water make movement in the water very difficult indeed. It is imperative that you try and keep your feet pointing downstream, to avoid being hit in the head on rocks, tree trunks, etc. Anything that hinders this is not good. Secondly when you get back to the shallows trying to climb out of the river with waders full of water is very difficult. You can minimise all these problems by wearing a belt.

Posted by Tony Bishop in fly fishing how-to

Fishing – What’s In It For Me?

The tackle was good. A top of the line 10 to 15 kilo jig stick, the best 5:1 reel, a fill of good line, and a tackle box full of all the goodies, all gleaming shiny and new on the counter.

The card was good too. The figure of $750.oo rocketed along the phone lines to the big computer in Wellington (NZ), and returned bearing the ‘approved’ sign on the card machine. I handed over the docket for the customer to sign, under the watchful eye of his wife.

Her face puckered into an ‘I just bit into a lemon’ look, and the tart remark shot out, “You will have to catch a lot of fish to cover that.”
My observation that the purchase price was only 15, two kilo snapper at fish shop prices, was greeted with the special look some people reserve for smart ass salespeople. Icy is too mild a description. The fact that every brass monkey for miles around was clutching their part’s privy, will give some idea of the frostiness of the glare.

She, and then he, began a vigorous discussion on the merits or otherwise of fishing tackle purchases. There was some emphasis placed on much needed, but not yet purchased kitchen appliances, a roof that needed painting, and the like. Discretion being by far the much better part of valour, I retired to the back of the shop to become busy doing something, anything.

‘Anything’, turned out to be some deep thought on the economics of fishing tackle purchases.

The first, and perhaps obvious train of thought that rattled through this, then, tackle store owner’s, brain, involved the purchase of fishing tackle. Purchasing heaps of expensive tackle seemed an excellent hypothesis to me.

This thought passed, replaced by an enquiry. Why do I spend so much time fishing? What is in it for me? ……story continues www.bishfish.co.nz/articles/general/economics.htm

Posted by Tony Bishop in fishing humour