Ha! My dad can do this. People always call me a liar when I tell them about the technique. It’s all about patience and wile.
When my dad sets out to do it what he’ll do is find a stream and walk along the banks but a good 10 feet back watching for fish. When he sees a fish he’ll go down stream a bit and then crawl up the bank slowly and quietly. When he draws just behind the fish he’ll put his hand in the water and ever so slowly work his hand up under the fish, tickling its belly as he goes. Once he gets up to the front he slips his finger into its gills and pops it out of the crick onto the bank. He makes it look easy. You can then dump the fish back into the crick.
I learned to do this 5 years ago as part of a wilderness survival program. I was highly skeptical at first, but it was much easier in reality.
I believe the practice is banned in most states because it is so effective at catching fish.
How bizarre that such a primitive technique could be banned. You’d think elaborate fishing lures and rods would also be illegal if using your hands is wrong.
I guess it’s a form of tonic immobility. Which reminds me of one of the oddest things I’ve ever seen on TV. This young lady who appeared on Letterman who immobilizes lizards and then dresses them up and poses them.
>The practice is currently illegal under most circumstances in Britain.
why? i mean i understand when for example explosives or highly maiming (while not very efficient at actually catching) types of hooks, spears, etc. are banned, or nets. What is wrong with tickling?
It was a technique used by poachers, not Gentlemen. Laws around hunting in the UK have a strong scent of class about them (Eg hunting with a bow is illegal, hunting with dogs was legal far longer than it should have been). My grandfather had a loose coat with a slit in the lining that would take a salmon.
I think the reason is it's easy to do without a fishing license. That's why poachers would use this technique - if they get caught by the authorities there's no incriminating equipment, they just claim they were going for a walk.
Fishing rights in the UK are very strictly protected. The are many places where the public can walk along a river but are not allowed to fish.
Ok, where the heck did I see trout tickling in the last couple of days? I want to say it was the biography of Montaigne, something about The Compleat Angler.
Readit News
When my dad sets out to do it what he’ll do is find a stream and walk along the banks but a good 10 feet back watching for fish. When he sees a fish he’ll go down stream a bit and then crawl up the bank slowly and quietly. When he draws just behind the fish he’ll put his hand in the water and ever so slowly work his hand up under the fish, tickling its belly as he goes. Once he gets up to the front he slips his finger into its gills and pops it out of the crick onto the bank. He makes it look easy. You can then dump the fish back into the crick.
https://youtu.be/v6yuEuvXOnA
edit: that sounds dirtier than I intended, but I still like it as a cliche.
why? i mean i understand when for example explosives or highly maiming (while not very efficient at actually catching) types of hooks, spears, etc. are banned, or nets. What is wrong with tickling?
Fishing rights in the UK are very strictly protected. The are many places where the public can walk along a river but are not allowed to fish.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/fishing-licences
Using a snare is possible too I am told. Like tickling, but you slide the snare over from the tail end up to the gills.
There are lots of 'poachers tale' type stories like this inn the UK.
The farm owner taught us to tickle and the trout we took home were always caught that way by us.
It was a lot easier than tickling in a trout stream, they were in ponds, but fun for pre-teen children nonetheless.
(Gasps) "hunny, it's the middle of the afternoon!"