Pole Spearing
Ask any old timers how they started spearfishing, and they will always say ‘with a Hawaiian sling’. They then recall the fun they had with their spears, bringing back plenty of good eating fish.
True ‘Hawaiian slings’, at least as they are referred to in Hawaii, are actually something a little different (they have a steel shaft propelled by a rubber attached to a tube which is slid up the spear). Anyway, in NZ, a hand spear, or Hawaiian sling, is what the rest of the world calls a ‘pole spear’.
Pole spears available in NZ are typically made of fiberglass or aluminium, are about 6 feet long, and are usually fitted with a ‘pranger’ head which has between 3 and 6 barbed prongs. A diver grabs the rubber loop attached to the end of the spear and stretches it along the shaft, holding it cocked with a strong hand grip. When the diver releases his or her grip on the spear, the rubber propels the spear forwards at a fish. This is sufficient fire power to take most reef fish species effectively, and gives a range of between one and two metres from the tip of the spear. There is a multitude of more exotic options available if you want to shop around on the internet, including some heavy duty big game spears, light weight spear with barbless prongs, and a variety of different tips such as single or double flopper options, a variety of pranger arrangements, sliptips, etc. Lengths can vary from 1.8 m (6 ft) to over 10 ft (3 m).
Learning to spear fish with a pole spear teaches a new diver how to move in the water and stalk fish without spooking them. Those who are proficient at this will know that it is more effective to get close to the fish by a stealthy non-threatening approach than to have a long gun that shoots fish from further away. At first, divers should try and spear the full variety of good eating fish to learn the behaviour of different species. In the north, blue maomao and red moki are often the first fish that people are able to spear. After some practice, divers will graduate to hunting butterfish – considered by many to be one of the best table fish. With more experience and after developing some basic freediving skills, divers can take porae, john dory, kahawai, koheru, blue moki, giant boarfish, tarakihi, pink maomao, and trevally. A good spearfisher can even successfully hunt large kingfish and snapper with a pole spear. In the south, blue cod, blue moki, and butterfish, are all good options and easily speared with a pole spear.
Pole spears are a difficult way to hunt than using a speargun – a bit like bow hunting compared to using a high powered rifle. Most people ‘graduate’ to using a speargun over time in order to land bigger fish, but they take with them the basics that they learned about fish behaviour whilst using a pole spear.
Most NZ reef species are quite curious, and will swim well within range of a diver who remains still and calm with a relaxed manner in the water. A good trick is to avoid ‘tracking’ the fish with your eyes. Avoid taking a shot too soon – you don’t want to wound the fish and let it escape. When the fish approaches within range, aim the spear and fire at the head/neck area and quickly get control of the fish. With a little patience, you will develop good freediving skills and a good basic knowledge of fish behaviour and habitats. We are lucky that we have so many fish which are easy to spear and good eating, so as always, take only enough to eat fresh, and leave the rest for your next dive.
By Reid Quinlan
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