Set lines and night lines (emergency knowledge)
A set line is a baited fishing line tied firmly to the bank and left to fish on its own – often overnight. With a few such lines you can fish while you sleep or gather wood. That is exactly why they are prohibited for anglers: caught fish hang on the hook for hours. In a genuine emergency: few lines, all marked, checked early in the morning and removed completely afterwards.
- 10 minutes per line, checks in the evening and at dawn
Explained simply
A set line is a fishing line that you tie to a branch over the water in the evening and then leave on its own. A worm hangs on the hook. While you sleep a fish can bite – and in the morning you go and look.
That sounds handy, but there is a catch: the fish has to wait all night on the hook. Ducks or otters can also grab the worm. That is why it is forbidden in ordinary fishing.
In a real emergency a set line can still help because it saves strength. Then strict rules apply: only a few lines, all marked, check very early in the morning and take everything away at the end.
How it works
Many fish feed mainly at dusk and at night. A line hanging in the water at that time has a good chance. Because it hangs from a springy branch it gives when a fish pulls – a rigid holder would snap the line or tear the hook out.
The length of the line decides where the bait hangs: just above the bottom for fish that feed there, or in mid-water. A small weight holds it in place.
The advantage is time: the line fishes while you rest, gather wood or signal. In an emergency, strength is the most valuable thing you have.
What really matters
The checking decides, not the number of lines. Two lines checked at dawn are better than ten found only at midday. Caught fish are stunned and killed at once.
The hook must always stay under water. A bait at the surface or on the bank is a danger to ducks, herons, otters and dogs. During the day, when these animals are active, bring the lines in or hang the hooks high without bait.
Every line gets a number and a marker tape, and all of them go in a list. That way none is forgotten at the end.
Safety: what to watch out for
Forgotten lines with hooks kill birds and other animals months later. That is why everything is counted and taken away at the end. Anything that could not be recovered is reported to the rescuers.
Do not set lines at bathing spots, jetties or near nests. And do not go into the water to check – the line is brought in from the bank.
For anglers, set lines are not allowed in Austria and Germany. Without permission it remains fish poaching.
Step by step
Check the emergency and the water
Only in genuine danger to life. Choose a quiet stretch of bank close to camp without bathing spots, boats or waterbird nests. Decide how many lines you can check safely – usually two to four.
- 1
Check the emergency and the water
Only in genuine danger to life. Choose a quiet stretch of bank close to camp without bathing spots, boats or waterbird nests. Decide how many lines you can check safely – usually two to four.
- 2
Choose a springy holder
Best is a live, flexible branch hanging over the water, or a strong stick pushed deep and at an angle into the bank. It must flex when a fish pulls but must not be torn out.
- 3
Rig the line
Tie on a hook and a small weight. Make the line long enough that the bait hangs just above the bottom or in mid-water, depending on where you expect fish. Always set the hook deep enough to stay under water.
- 4
Bait the hook
Thread the bait so the hook point is covered: worms, larvae, fish scraps or small pieces of edible meat. Using live bait fish is not necessary, even in an emergency.
- 5
Tie off and mark
Knot the line firmly to the holder and lower the bait gently into the water. Tie marker tape at eye level beside it and write the line's number and location in the list.
- 6
Check at dawn
Check the lines late in the evening and again very early in the morning, before waterbirds become active. A caught fish is stunned and killed at once. If lines have tangled or an animal you did not want has taken the bait, cut the line as close to the hook as possible.
- 7
Bring them in during the day
If you cannot keep an eye on the lines during the day, bring them in or hang the hooks unbaited high on the holder. Re-bait in the evening.
- 8
Remove everything completely
After the emergency, collect every line with its hook and weight and count again. Recover snapped lines as far as possible. If you could not remove everything, tell the rescuers where lines are still hanging.
Common mistakes
- Too many lines
- Checking lines only at midday
- Hooks at the surface or on the bank
- Rigid holder – the line snaps
- Forgetting lines when leaving
Quick view
Materials
Mini fishing kit (survival fishing kit)
Hooks, line, small weights
Hooks are sharp and barbed – always keep them covered in the kit, e.g. in a piece of cork or a small tin.
Monofilament fishing line
Stronger than for hand-line fishing
Never leave scraps of line behind: birds and other animals get tangled in them and die slowly. Wind up scraps and take them with you.
Sturdy sticks / poles
Springy branch or peg as a holder
Do not cut live wood where prohibited.
Brightly coloured flagging tape
Remove every piece again when dismantling
Labels and waterproof marker
For the list of all lines
Suitable for
- Long emergencies by a lake or slow river
- When you need to save strength and cannot fish for hours
Not suitable for
- Water with swimmers, boats or waterbirds nearby
- Situations in which you cannot check the lines early in the morning
- Any situation without genuine danger to life
Prerequisites
- Genuine danger to life with no help within reach
- A body of water with fish close to camp
- Bait (see “Finding bait”)
- Hooks and line – bought or improvised
Safety
- Forgotten lines keep killing for a long time. Count and mark every line and remove it completely, hooks included, at the end.
How it works
Fish feed especially at dusk and at night. A line hanging from a springy branch gives when a fish pulls and does not break. Because it works without you, it costs hardly any strength – but every fish that bites waits on the hook until you come. That is why the checking matters, not the number of lines.
Advantages
- Fishes while you rest
- Saves a lot of strength
- Works with simple bait
Disadvantages
- Fish wait a long time on the hook
- Danger to birds, otters and dogs
- Fish poaching without permission
- Forgotten lines keep killing
Deep knowledge
Background
Set lines, ledger lines or night lines are recommended in many survival manuals because they save strength. Commercial fishing uses related long lines with many hooks.
For anglers they are not allowed in Austria and Germany: fishing regulations require you to be present and supervise your rod so that caught fish are dealt with at once. As emergency knowledge the set line remains a tool that is only justifiable with strict checking.
Variants
- Floating bottle
- On lakes the line can hang from a sealed empty bottle tied to the bank. The bottle shows whether a fish has taken the bait.
- Under the ice
- For ice fishing there are holders with a little flag that springs up when a fish pulls. The same applies there: only on safe ice and under constant watch.
Common mistakes
- Too many lines
- Checking lines only at midday
- Hooks at the surface or on the bank
- Rigid holder – the line snaps
- Forgetting lines when leaving
Limits and risks
- No instructions for long lines with many hooks
- No live bait fish
- Not legal advice
Material alternatives
Derived from material properties: a substitute must have all relevant properties. Observe the notes on the substitute.
- Monofilament fishing line
- Rope (Never use unknown or damaged rope for life-safety purposes.), Paracord (Not a climbing or safety rope.), Thin twine (Low breaking strength – light loads only.), Accessory cord (Use only certified cord after training for life-safety purposes.), Webbing (tubular webbing) (Inspect knotted webbing before every use.), Jute or sisal twine (bought) (Low strength, absorbs water and rots – light loads and practice only.), Tree straps (Load only within the manufacturer's limits.), Thin, soft wire (brass or galvanised steel) (Wire ends are sharp – protect eyes and fingers when bending), Tow rope or tow strap (Attach only to the towing eyes provided by the manufacturer; never stand next to it under load.)
Results come exclusively from structured entries. No improvised instructions are generated.
Sources (6)
- Headquarters, Department of the Army (USA) (2002): FM 3-05.70 Survival · Set lines on branches or stakes; check regularly
- Bundesrepublik Deutschland – Bundesministerium der Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de): Strafgesetzbuch (StGB) – § 293 Fischwilderei · § 293: fish poaching
- Republik Österreich – Rechtsinformationssystem des Bundes (RIS) (1974): Strafgesetzbuch (StGB), BGBl. Nr. 60/1974 – §§ 137, 138 (Eingriff in fremdes Jagd- oder Fischereirecht) und § 222 (Tierquälerei) · §§ 137, 138: interference with another person's hunting or fishing rights; § 222: cruelty to animals
- Freistaat Bayern – Bayerische Staatskanzlei (gesetze-bayern.de) (2008): Bayerisches Fischereigesetz (BayFiG) · Fishing only with permission and permitted gear; supervise rods
- Land Niederösterreich – Rechtsinformationssystem des Bundes (RIS), Landesrecht (2001): NÖ Fischereigesetz 2001 · Fishing rights and a fishing licence as a requirement
- Bundesrepublik Deutschland – Bundesministerium der Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de) (2012): Verordnung zum Schutz von Tieren im Zusammenhang mit der Schlachtung oder Tötung und zur Durchführung der Verordnung (EG) Nr. 1099/2009 des Rates (Tierschutz-Schlachtverordnung – TierSchlV) · Stun fish before killing