Tiksay fishing in the Philippines

 

A Tiksay fishing rig is a modified air rifle used as a fishing gun. The dart is inserted into the barrel of the air rifle and set by a ramrod . There is a fishing line tied to the dart to retrieve it and the fish. This type of fishing is called "Tunod" in Laguna and "Tiksay" in other places.

Tiksay fishing requires shooting skills to master. Due to water refraction the fish appears to be seen higher than in a normal line of sight. A good rule to remember is to aim low. I have made a few rigs in the Philippines and fished with them to great success, sometimes even darting 2 fish at once.

The majority of the rifles I and my associates made into Tiksay rigs were of the pump variety. Usually the Eskopeta brand air rifle ( http://eskopetaairguns.com/ ) that is cheap and popular in the Philippines. But, I have seen them made from just about any type of old air rifle , even a break action. I believe there is even a gentleman making rifles now specifically for Tiksay fishing.

The caliber is always .22 and the makers of these rigs prefer older guns to be used solely for Tiksay fishing. The waster is hard on the guns and the darts tend to scratch the rifling and make them ineffective for hunting birds etc. The darts are made from many different materials. I have seen them made from motorcycle spoke, ball point pen barrels and even old tooth brushes. it all depends on the makers.

Im not sure where or when this type of fishing originated but back in the early 2000s I remember seeing some men using this method of fishing in Indonesia. It speaks of SE Asian and Filipino ingenuity and resourcefulness. All said, this type of fishing is an excellent skill to master and is a lot of fun. I would recommend a Tiksay rig for the survival prepper and adventure hunter.

Tomahawk out!