G'day everyone,

This is my first post here, after being a regular visitor to Doug Ritters website for 1.5 year.

I'm looking for a speedhook, but am having trouble obtaining one over here, in The Netherlands (Europe). No shop (fishing or survival) seems to know about them...

I've thought about ordering one from overseas, but the shipping & handling costs would make it prohibitive.

So, I've decided to 'roll my own', and have been making a few drawings as to how the Speedhook might work. If I build it like I designed it, I think it'll work, but I don't think the speedhook works that way, judging from the small photos I've got of it.

So, my question is, does anyone have a detailed picture of a speedhook, so one can determine how it works ? I don't think there would be a problem with patent infringements and the like, as long as I build only for myself, not commercially. Plus, having a bit more knowledge on how the speedhook works would be welcome to everyone, since in a survival situation, one might not have a speedhook but need to improvise one?

Anyway, if anyone has a detailed picture of the construction of a speedhook, I'd greatly appreciate it!

Grtz,

Peter Dingemans,
The Netherlands.

Once you get it sorted, do you think you could post a picture of how you did it. I'm interested too. Amazingly they are legal in the UK althought they are not in some US states. I don't know about the Netherlands though. I'd check your laws before using it for anything other than survival.

For a fairly good photo of the speedhook, try www.bestglide.com. I've got two of the military versions bought from Brigade Quartermaster (see their website also). They're all that they're advertised to be, even if a little pricey, although after seeing the bestglide site I might just have to pick up a couple of the civilian versions (two to a pack, without the line and bait and more reasonably priced).

Troy

hey, another dutcie ! if you make them, please post how you did it.

Here is a good diagram, I couldn't get that web site to come up, but that might have been our network. It looks fairly idiot-proof, which makes it the idea fishing accessory for me! Speedhook drawing

For anybody who's interested, I called to order two of the three packs in the ad, and got a six-pack for 15.95. That brings the price down to pretty affordable, I think. It's a simple piece of equipment, but one well worth having, especially for someone whose "angling challenged", they take the skill out of knowing when to set the hook. For a real survival situation, I can see a half-dozen rigged as branch sets while I'm busy getting fire wood.

Troy

Thanks for all the info re. speedhooks; with the picture on that website, plus the drawing, it's pretty clear how it works.

Now, the only problem left is to find the piano-wire/spring wire.

I'll let you guys know how it goes.

Grtz,

Peter (your favourite Dutch Uncle).