Magnet Fishing

Anyone done it?

Thinking it might be a way to pass a few hours down the local canals with the kids.

What strength magnet would we need? 20kg pull strength, 40kg, more?

You might catch a motorpike and sidecarp

You might catch a motorpike and sidecarp

I caught one once. The front wheel was loads bigger than the rear. I think it was a mullet

I can’t comment on what magnet for…

But if you’re going to do it, (and yeah, it does look like fun) please consider what you’re going to do with massive items of scrap you drag out onto the bank.

Clue. The answer isn’t just abandon it on the bank for someone else to deal with as I’ve seen in Chester on more than one occasion.

I thought most fishermen were just there for sport and threw their catches back in

Leaving it on the bank or throwing it back in would be fly-tipping.

Leaving it on the bank or throwing it back in would be fly-tipping

Ha ha yeah, you catch it you own it!

Returning to the question I presume you want a magnet that isn’t as strong as you are.

Otherwise if it sticks to a car you have lost your magnet Shirley?

I’ve seen folk do this in York.  Often see rusty old bikes just dumped on the paths next to the river.

Leaving it on the bank or throwing it back in would be fly-tipping

IIRC J R Hartley wrote an excellent guide to this

Yeah. take the shit you find home with you. I’m sick of cycling along the LL or the Bridgewater trying to dodge piles of rusting scrap that idiots fish out of the canal and just dump.

Also watch out for hand grenades.

I did some with my boy when he was younger, just locally and usually off a bridge. My neighbour purchased the magnet from eBay but got bored of it very quickly.

The first time we went, Ha caught a key which in turn got his imagination running wild as to what the key was for and how it ended up in the river, other items caught include coins, a large rusty knife and a replica hand gun which again triggered a lot of thought.

it was fun, but we both got bored after a few trips out.

Watch some Bondi Treasure Hunter on youtube and see what crap he drags out of the canals in Amsterdam.

Handily he sells magnets as well.

Theres a magnet fishing club in Glasgow.(on facebook) they seem to drag up a hell of a lot of big butcher knives.

TBH you’d probably be better joining a club, and they’d be the best to advise you on magnet type and rope stuff etc

TBH you’d probably be better joining a club

Do they have their own privately stocked waters?

Do they have their own privately stocked waters?

They could collect up the random crap the others leave by the towpath and restock their own ponds