Anyone for a bit of mackereling ?

[Old Boggy]

I attach for identification please, a hook which hopefully can be seen as 12 inches long with a large swivel arrangement.

This was given to me by my pal who has five or six similar hooks that belonged to his Grandfather.

Possibly used for shark fishing but any suggestions would be much appreciated.

OB

[strimmer_13]

Completely guessing, but I'd say for trolling as that seems like a basic swivel built into the end. Complete guess as said

[Winston72]

I have fished all a few places in the world for shark(including bull shark) but never with anything that big, it looks more like something that king mackerel and other game fish would be hung from to clean them

[TIGHTCHOKE]

2 minutes ago, Winston72 said:

I have fished all a few places in the world for shark(including bull shark) but never with anything that big, it looks more like something that king mackerel and other game fish would be hung from to clean them

You may well be correct, but why would it have a barb for a dead fish?

[Winston72]

1 minute ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

You may well be correct, but why would it have a barb for a dead fish?

Very good point,I cant think why it would, but its a hell of a size hook for anything else and the shackle looks more akin to a chain than 150lb braid or 300lb leader 

[Cranfield]

A couple of Dungie lug, tipped off with some squid, just the job for Winter cod.

[Dave at kelton]

I used these regularly forty years ago for conger eel fishing with a big half herring. The swivel took the spinning of the eel when hooked. My grandfather used to have four or five hand lines out at a time attached to brass bells to indicate a bite. Happy memories

[chrisjpainter]

2 hours ago, Dave at kelton said:

I used these regularly forty years ago for conger eel fishing with a big half herring. The swivel took the spinning of the eel when hooked. My grandfather used to have four or five hand lines out at a time attached to brass bells to indicate a bite. Happy memories

+1 for the conger hook.

 

3 hours ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

You may well be correct, but why would it have a barb for a dead fish?

Well, speaking of conger. I know of one case where said conger was caught and was going to be cooked. It was about 7ft long and had been gutted, but needed to be hung. So it was put on the back of the kitchen door on a clothes peg for the night. 2am the owner came down to what sounded like a war zone in her kitchen, only to find one entirely dead conger thrashing itself round the kitchen as the muscles spasmed. perhaps a barbed clothes peg could have come in handy!

[Old farrier]

There conger hooks and we’re used on long lines 

a number of years ago I caught a fair few big fish ( conger and common skate )that had these hooks and a bit of line still attached in there mouth 

always though they were a bit large to use on a rod and line 

All the best 

Of

[Dave at kelton]

5 hours ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

You may well be correct, but why would it have a barb for a dead fish?

So it stays in the conger. The clue is the use of several hand lines by my grandfather. There was no such thing as using a rod or line. This was about catching and killing. We had a photo of him just after the First World War in Isle of Man. He was pictured with a couple of I am sure 50ilb plus eels but damned if I know what happened to the photo.

[Pistol p]

Looks ideal for arapaima.

[Walker570]

A fair few years ago, talking maybe pre 2nd WW or just after, ardent anglers went out into the north sea and fished for tuna with some success. This hook may be from that period.

[Walker570]

Just wicked it and found that Tuna or tunny fishing as it was know back then became the sport of the mega rich.  In 1930 Lawrie Mitchel-Henry hooked and landed the first rod caught tunny weighing 560lbs ..Scarborough became the Centre for the sport and the British Tunny Club was formed.   That hook could well be from that era.

[itchy trigger]

29 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

A fair few years ago, talking maybe pre 2nd WW or just after, ardent anglers went out into the north sea and fished for tuna with some success. This hook may be from that period.

do the Hardy factory tour, their museum has some of the specialised tunny fishing gear they used to make, seriously heavy duty.

the fishers used to hire the fishing boat for days at a time to be able follow the herring fleets

there is still a tunny fishery off the west coast of Ireland if you have the cash

[snow white]

Used them myself for conger back in the early seventys might still have couple knocking about in the shed

[Old Boggy]

Many thanks for all your replies.

The consensus seems to be for conger. That makes sense when you see how much they can twist when caught. I've fished for conger but never with anything like that and only for fish up to 20lbs.

It's still a good talking point will be cleaned up and exhibited somewhere in my house, if my wife allows !!

OB

[chrisjpainter]

7 minutes ago, Old Boggy said:

Many thanks for all your replies.

The consensus seems to be for conger. That makes sense when you see how much they can twist when caught. I've fished for conger but never with anything like that and only for fish up to 20lbs.

It's still a good talking point will be cleaned up and exhibited somewhere in my house, if my wife allows !!

OB

Yeah, they're not really used these days. tackle and rig design has moved on a bit since these were commonplace. Catch and release isn't really on the agenda with something like this. 

59 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

Just wicked it and found that Tuna or tunny fishing as it was know back then became the sport of the mega rich.  In 1930 Lawrie Mitchel-Henry hooked and landed the first rod caught tunny weighing 560lbs ..Scarborough became the Centre for the sport and the British Tunny Club was formed.   That hook could well be from that era.

These sorts of specimens will, I think, begin to return as the waters warm. bigger sharks are being caught, as well as sizeable tuna spp. as long as their conservation is considered, it could be pretty good sport in the next few decades

[Old Boggy]

13 hours ago, Old farrier said:

There conger hooks and we’re used on long lines 

a number of years ago I caught a fair few big fish ( conger and common skate )that had these hooks and a bit of line still attached in there mouth 

always though they were a bit large to use on a rod and line 

All the best 

Of

In my youth I used to set a long line off the North Kent coast on the spring tides at weekends. This was pegged out on the mud with about twenty traces baited with either lug or rag worm. Set on Friday night, checked and reset Saturday and Sunday morning and taken in on Sunday evening. Depending on the time of year I used to catch plaice, dogfish, codling,whiting,cod and the occasional bass (they preferred rag worm).

it was always quite exciting as you never knew what you would be catching. I seem to recall that there was always something caught on most tides.Had to judge the tides right so that when checking, the catch was still in shallow water and away from seagulls.I was fortunate living just 10 minutes walk from the beach.

This was the same stretch of coastline where one could roam freely with the gun between the high and low water marks in pursuit of the waders then on the quarry list.

Happy Days

OB

 

[Yellow Bear]

1 hour ago, Old Boggy said:

and the occasional bass

And if it was anything like my area of the Hants. coast you could not give them away as no one wanted them.  How times change