Posts by Kolt45

  • Requesting Gun Pictures for Magazine Article

    Hey Guys,


    I'm writing an article for our local magazine about gun building and would like to get as many photos as I can showing different designs and steps in the building process.


    I aim to write an article that covers the basics of wood, tooling, and design. The goal is so new builders can get a good product right from the start, avoiding common pitfalls. Most of the readers will probably be unfamiliar with the wealth of information available here on the forum.


    If you're interested in contributing, that would be awesome. Please send your best photos (need high res) along with your name and a short description to kjflyfish@gmail.com.


    Your help is greatly appreciated!


    Cheers,
    Kolt

  • Best speargun coating / finish ?

    Good point Phil - I haven't refinished any of my expoy guns either!


    Dan, you're absolutely right - I thought what a bunch of unenlightened neanderthals, but ended up becoming one!! It's a good place to be :D

  • Best speargun coating / finish ?

    Yeah, that was a while ago! The whole penetrating epoxy thing was great, but it was a bit labour intensive. I was into that sort of thing then, especially since I was using woods that were quite good looking and wanted to get a durable, protecting finish. I've really changed my approach to guns over the last two years, focusing a lot less on the aesthetics. I find that spray poly gives a good finish and can be re-applied if necessary, although I havne't found the need to do so. I mostly use a 3-prong now unless I'm doing competitions, then I break out the RA. My woodies are almost idle except the occasional lending to a friend.

  • Best speargun coating / finish ?

    I think one question that needs to be asked is do you want this to be a utilitarian gun or a showpiece? That makes a big differnce. If it's like my guns - which are simply tools - then just slap on some spray poly and kill fish. If it gets too banged up, sand and spray again.

  • new spearfisherman in mozambique

    UnderwaterMike, definitely get in touch with the Rob Allen guys. There's no better equipment out there. I'm very jealous of your location too - Moz is definitely a bucket list spearfishing destination!

  • New Zealand Polespear Adventures

    While scouting for Nationals, I came across this john dory. There's a bit of an unwritten law that all JDs should be shot (long amusing story), so naturally, I obliged. Funny enough, I missed! But the johnny thought he was hidden in the weed, which gave me a window of opportunity. I pulled the shaft from the sand and thrust it in the side of the great beast! The stab was in a bad spot, but it landed no less. A short, heated tussle ensued. So much for needing band power...

  • New Zealand Polespear Adventures

    Ha! Nah, Reid plays by his own rules - he uses a polespear for the Nationals, so it puts him at a disadvantage compared to everyone else with a 120. Unfortunately, it didn't pay off this year for him.


    National level competition is pretty insane over here - the guys that won have done so the last 5 years in a row. And they're only 23. They will be hard to topple. They are definitely in the crosshairs of a lot of spearos here, including me!! I'll stick with the 120 as my weapon of choice.

  • First speargun advice for 13 yr.old

    Hey Geokat, I sent you an email. Let me know if that's helpful.


    The comment about a polespear is a good one - becoming proficient with a polespear, especially a 3-prong, makes for a very strong hunting skill set.

  • New Zealand Polespear Adventures

    Things have been quiet on the polespear front for a while. Mostly because I was focused on the NZ Nationals and started swimming with the 120.


    Anyway, here are some video stills from yesterday. The fish is called a tarakihi, which are a tasty fish that frequent places where rock and weed meet sand, usually fairly deep. I was able to find a spot where they were quite shallower than normal, which is always a good thing. Lucky I had the camera too.


    The shot placement is terrible, but no excuses. At least I got him!

  • One gun for reef and bluewater?

    With the vis you get in the Caribbean, a 120 will never be too short. I've shot a few fish and a 120 with 6.5 or 7mm shaft and single 20mm band is magic. When I go to the tropics, I take a big 4 band gun for tuna. Reef hunting in clear water, a 120 or better yet a 130 is the gun of choice. 130 is fine for dorado and wahoo. Tuna are a push if range is an issue.


    Hole hunting is a different story. You'll have plenty of polespears, so no need for bringing a short gun.

  • Enclosed track speargun

    23 pages - amazing that this subject is generating that much discussion. Now that I've been converted to the world of Rob Allen (not counting my fixation with polespears), I can honestly say that there's no need for a beefed up enclosed track euro. If you actually get to the point where you need enough band power to necessitate an enclosed track you will end up with way too much recoil for a lightweight pipe gun. It's quite simple. A single band RA 120 will take out almost anything in the hands of a capable shooter. When I go to the tropics and need to make long shots at big fish in super clear water, the euros stay on the boat and the 4-band enclosed track gun comes out. With that setup, I don't have to worry about pushing the limits of my gun's capability.


    Edit: I don't want to take anything away from the achievements of Tin Man and Griswold. Some amazing engineering has gone into the Mako guns and I'm sure they are a well executed production.

  • Diving in Tonga

    Hey Ben,


    I'm a mate of Matt's. He raves about Tonga and really likes the way you run things there. Hope you are doing well and I'm sure we will meet up at some point.


    Regards,
    Kolt