A Question For Fishermen

[Knifewing]

I want to buy a Spyderco knife for a good friend who's an avid fisherman. He mostly floats rivers in Montana and Wyoming--not so much saltwater deep-sea activity. Anyway, I was going to try to find a Catcherman for him, but then I thought about H-1 probably being a better bet. So here's my question: if you were going to have one knife for fishing, would it be plain or SE, and would you prefer the Salt 1 or Pacific Salt? I'm kind of partial to the yellow handles because they're easy to see when you need them. Or should I go back to plan A and get him a Catcherman? Your input at this late holiday hour is appreciated...Thanks!

[kbuzbee]

I'm really not a big fan of folders for things like cleaning fish (or kitchen use, in general, I suppose) too many crevices and such..... Ideally I might want a thin, fixed blade of H1 but since that doesn't exist, I'd probably look for something else.

If I HAD to choose between the Catcherman and, say, a Pacific Salt (for the purpose of cleaning fish), I guess I'd choose a Catcherman.....

Ken

[Saint-Just]

You ask a difficult question, because Catcherman and Salts are both:
1) excellent
2) very different as to how you use them.
I would struggle to lift fillets with a Salt 1
H1 is an outstanding steel, but (maybe) you need to know your knives to fully appreciate it.
For purely fishing, Catcherman
For everyday knife that you take with you when out fishing, Pacific.
If you have a filet knife as well, go for SE. Works wonderfully with H1
Make sure your friend has access to a sharpmaker as well, his knife will get better with time
HTH

[JaM]

It's not a problem to clean a fish with a Salt1... And it's easy to clean, too !
Problem with the catcherman is that they might be hard to find...



Altough I'd rather have (hindsight is a wonderfull thing) the pacific (big hands you know).

[shu]

The Catcherman does a fine job filleting walleyes and the like but does not crossover as well into utility use for other chores. For trout and panfish (likely what he's catching on rivers in MT & WY) I have no qualms about using my Delica--I gut them and cook with the skin on.

If I only took one knife, the Endura-sized blade of the Pacific Salt would provide a little extra length for steaking larger fish, still be manageable for gutting/scaling, and do a yeoman's job with most other tasks as well.

I usually carry at least two knives when fishing - one a dedicated fillet knife (I like the 6" Normark) - but a PE Salt would be an excellent choice for the other.

Just my thoughts.

[J Smith]

I fish and hunt a good bit.I would prefer a CE Military.
This whole non rusting steel thing to me is a bit over rated,IMO you give up to much in the steel for any gain you get from it not rusting.I have never had any troube with any knife rusting by just useing the most minamal care in wipeing it off.Even on carbon steel there is no problem,I kind of like the patina it gets.
Now this may be differant if it is for someone that does not give a crap about his gear and does not take care of it at all.

[Pete1977]

J Smith- I have to disagree. after a couple months of use and sharpening, a plain edge H-1 blade holds an edge as good as, if not better, s30v. and when it does get dull, it is easier to sharpen, or reprofile in the event of a chipped edge.

nice codfish JaM. :)

Knifewing- I would go with the pacific salt over the catcherman, simply because the blade is thicker and the shape lends itself to more chores on the water than just cutting fish. I would also go with the plain edge, as I find it more versatile for cutting work of different difficulties than the spyderedge. It will also be easier to find than a catcherman. I would not fillet a fish with a spyderedged knife because fish is not a very firm meat and you would lose quite a bit in the teeth of the knife. I second getting a sharpmaker to go along with it, especially if your friend is not a knife person. it is a simple way to put an excellent working edge on a knife, and if he has a pack, it is convenient to carry into the field. I would choose the pacific over the salt I because when I can, I always prefer a longer blade.

pete

[skcusloa]

A dedicated fisherman would already have a fillet knife. I use an electric one that's fully serrated, but I wait till I get home.

If I was going to choose a knife for on the boat it'd be a hawkbill. Tasman salt. They make it easier to cut line and rope. I normally use a serrated cricket when I'm on my boat.

I haven't tried using any :spyder: 's for cleaning. I wouldn't want that smell on them :) The electric makes it so easy I don't want to.

[clovisc]

i'd get a pacific salt -- one of my most favoritest spydies ever!

[cgjones]

Pacific Salt PE.

[denn]

hmmm...one of the Salts or Rescue's with the flashy colored handles should work nicely, possibly add a floater to it, so it won't sink if he drops it. even though the Catcherman is specifically designed for fishermen, keep in mind that the knife is a) long and b) mainly intended for slicing fish into pieces (long flexible blade)

personally i always carry my Military PE EDC-folder and my Leatherman Charge Ti multitool when fishing

denn

[augustus88]

I used my Atlantic Salt Yellow handle PE to cut up about 7 lbs of very spiny tough baitfish for chum on my boat yesterday. It performed flawlessly out on the ocean. At the end of the day I cleaned it out with a strong blast of freshwater from the garden hose and put it away wet. Most folding knives don't make very good filet knives. The fish I catch are too big to clean with anything but a flexible blade 9" filet knife. I use my Atlantic Salt for general cutting on the boat and a Buck filet knife for cleaning fish back at the dock.

I think a PE Pacific Salt with a yellow handle will make most fishermen happy. The pacific Salt is big enough to handle cleaning duty on smaller fish and perfect for most cutting chores out on the water.

All this talk about Pacific Salts makes me want to buy one for myself! There goes another $5:rolleyes:

[shu]

A dedicated fisherman would already have a fillet knife.

And a dedicated boater would already have a boat knife--but who can't use another knife, right?

IMO a hawkbill is too specialized for general (inland) use, even on/around a boat... I like a CE Endura for that job (not much different than a Pac Salt). I don't have much use for electric fillet knives as a lot of my fishing is spent in areas without power (like many parts of MT & WY) and I am not much for hauling around battery packs for a rechargeable. Plus I like the feel of filleting fish with a 'manual' knife.

An electric is sure nice for cleaning a bucket of frozen perch in the winter, though.

[cgjones]

All this talk about Pacific Salts makes me want to buy one for myself! There goes another $5:rolleyes:

Come on, you know you want one. Or two. I've got a pair of Pacifics and have been trying to decide which Salt I want next.

[Firefighter880]

A salt is a great idea. I would go with the SE in whatever version you decide to get. The Atlantic Salt is said to be made for fisherman and the like. I think the Tasman would work great too, but also the Pacific. Just as long as it's an H-1 serrated edge.

[JD Spydo]

I would recommend a Yellow handled Catcherman. I take one with me fishing. I like the yellow handle because it is easy to keep track of and actually l like yellow handled knives.

I sure hope that Spyderco brings out another folding fillet knife. I do think that the Spyderco Salt knives would also have their place in the fishing arena. I like the plain edged Massad Ayoob for cutting up fish.

Also you would be well advised to keep a set of fixed blade Temperance models to bring along. Those Temperance models are just great all purpose fixed blades.

[augustus88]

Come on, you know you want one. Or two. I've got a pair of Pacifics and have been trying to decide which Salt I want next.

Done deal! I have a Pacific Salt with yellow handle and SE on the way. This will be my first SE Spyderco. Hope serrations are as good as everyone says they are!

You guys sure know how to make me blow through money! :D

[cgjones]

You guys sure know how to make me blow through money! :D

Sorry....Not!! I think you'll be happy with the SE. My EDC is the Pacific PE, my Pacific SE is my grunt knife.

[Knifewing]

Thanks to all! This discussion has been invaluable. Unfortunately, now I want a Salt, too--not to mention a Dodo from another thread...Reading this Forum is getting expensive...

[zenheretic]

Thanks to all! This discussion has been invaluable. Unfortunately, now I want a Salt, too--not to mention a Dodo from another thread...Reading this Forum is getting expensive...

It will do that. :)

Boating rivers in Montana is a lot different than sailing boats on the ocean. Not a whole lot of ropes to be cut etc. For most fish in that region, fillets are not cut. As was already mentioned, if he is into fillets, he probably already has at least one fillet knife. I would gift a yellow Pacific out of the two you choices you have. A good all arounder knife for the rare bit of rope he might cut, will certainly gut fish well (even pan fryers), and any other normal chore for a pocket knife...with the added bonus of rust proof should he get wet and not be able to take care of the gear.

Considering the high visiability of the yellow when dropped in water, the ease of sharpening in the field, the rust proof nature of H1, and all around utility of the Endura-ish Pacific, the choice is clear to me. But what do I know, I only lived in Montana for 29 years.