The Art Of Spear Fishing By Tom Blandford I love the taste of fresh fish, and believe it or not, it’s difficult to buy fresh fish while cruising in the coastal regions of Mexico and Central America. Most of the fishermen in Latin America do not have refrigeration on their pangas (fishing skiffs). Consequently, fresh fish, properly cared for, are hard to find while cruising. Unless, of course, you catch them. Unfortunately a few of us (including me) are not very good with a rod and reel. So, it’s no surprise that more and more cruisers are turning to spearing fish while free diving to help fill the larder. The results can be the same: fresh, wholesome fish for the galley and lots of excitement at the end of a line. Cruisers tend to be a competent, self-reliant group of folks who do very well on and in the water. However, cruisers who are experienced divers—but new to spear fishing—are frequently frustrated with a lack of success. There are generally two reasons for a poor showing: unsuitable equipment and poor technique. A little information about equipment and technique may help. Spear Guns And Related Equipment M ost of the spear guns I’ve seen in the hands of cruisers are inadequate; they tend to be underpowered and are too short. A short spear gun will not propel the shaft far enough, and will not develop sufficient power for adequate penetration. A short gun is probably the main reason divers fail to land fish. I’m referring to guns with a barrel length of less than 36 inches. Generally, the longer the gun the more power it will generate. An adequate gun should have a minimum barrel length of about 48 inches. The gun I use, almost exclusively, is 54 inches long; however, I keep a longer gun aboard for larger fish or fish that are difficult to approach. It’s a classic case of “bigger is better” — sorry about the cliché, but size does matter. I know, bigger guns are harder to store, and that’s probably why cruisers choose short guns, but a long gun is worth the extra storage space. There are a number of gun manufacturers who produce excellent equipment: JBL, AB Biller, Riffe, and custom-built guns made by Steve Alexander and Jack Prodonovich are good examples. I prefer the Alexander and Riffe guns as they are well made and have teak barrels; they are, however, a bit pricey. A gun with a wooden barrel will float when the shaft is removed (all guns should float on the surface without the shaft). A metal gun will also float as long as the plugs in the barrel are sealed. Use a bit of caution when purchasing a used gun at a cruisers’ swap meet. A few of the older, metal-barrel guns had a tendency to prefire. That means after the gun is cocked, it will fire the shaft on its own—without pulling the trigger! Most of the newer guns have heat-treated trigger mechanisms and wi...

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