If you are lost and need to get home, and you're in a place where trotlines are illegal, be sure to set up a trotline as quickly as possible. A Fish and Wildlife warden will show up very soon.

Sue

Is it illegal to fish in an emergency, if your life might depend on it?!

If you have some room in your pack, have a look at these items at bestglide.com:

Military Speedhook, Speedhook Specialists, Inc. - $9.95

Standard Survival Fishing Kit - $22.95

Survival Gill Net - $18.95

and at survival-gear.com:

Yo-Yo Fishing Reel - $2.95

I am pretty much convinced that fishing is not going to get you enough calories to be of much good in a short term situation.

I would think that fish are a high calorie food?

IIRC, there is something like 400 calories in a whole pound of typical fish. thats a lot of fish to eat.

I suppose it is better than zero calories.

The biggest purpose for a fishing kit in a short term (under 10 day) situation, isn't so much to keep you fed but to keep you near water, and busy. Makes you easier to find and you are less likely to do something like climb a tree to rob a bird nest.

I think the value of fish as a survival food depends on where you are. Bass and other non-oily fish have about 125 calories per 3.5 ounces, compared with 250 calories for grouse meat, and 400 for venison. There are only a few options in the boreal forest for much of the year unless you have a gun and ammo. Nuts and berries abound in the fall, but there's not much around after the frost, or in winter or spring. Some edible green plants have nutrients, but little food energy. Mushrooms although tasty, have no food energy. There are streams and lakes everywhere up here, and a small fishing kit, accompanied by a 'frog spear' head in your kit will insure that you won't starve. A frog spearhead is small and only weighs a few ounces, but lashed to a long pole it will bring unwilling fish to your campfire. Snares are only marginally effective, and you will probably catch a skunk. The most common slow-moving source of protein, the nightcrawler, is low on my list of delectible morsels.

Fish hooks and line can be used to capture birds or other critters easily enough even if you are in an area without much water. Once set and baited they do all the work for you. Pop out a few snares and you should snag a meal eventually.

The so called experts say that you can go weeks without food, but I bet thats easier said than done. For the small amount of space a few hooks and line will take up in a kit what's the harm?

Depends where you live. All the Rabbit and hare around these parts will make snares a better choice than most people would first think. I would imagine a snare would have a better chance of success than a frog spear.

But... Depends on where you are.

very clever Raven,i never thought of the fishing kit that way.any survival i would realistic be involved in would be in some prime fishing water,guys pay big bucks for fly-in's,so picking up something to add to the pea soup would be no problem.however your take on it gives a person food for thought,what other items could be added to a kit that would aid someone with out being a real survival item?..now i'm thinking of a "normal" person here,not someone well versed in survival.