Make a Gorge Hook + Handline (Fishing Tool)

Summary

A gorge hook is one of the simplest early fishing hooks: it is a small straight piece of bone or hard wood tied at the middle. Bait covers the gorge. When a fish swallows it and you pull the line, the gorge turns sideways and catches.

This article covers making a gorge hook, attaching it to a handline, and basic ways to fish with it.

Terms used in this article

• Eddy — a calm pocket of slowly circling water just downstream of a rock or bank; fish rest there out of the current.
• Standing part / half-hitch — rope-work words, explained in Tie Basic Knots.

Prerequisites

• Cordage for line: Make Cordage (Plant Fibers)
• A sharp cutting edge for shaping: Make a Stone Flake Cutting Edge
• Knots for locking the tie: Tie Basic Knots
• Wrapping technique: Lash Objects Together (Cordage)

Diagram

Materials

• Cordage line: several arm-lengths (longer line is easier in deeper water)
• Gorge material (choose one):
  • Bone (dense, not crumbly), or
  • Hard wood (dense, fine-grained), or
  • A strong thorn (small fish)
• Bait (worms, insects, small meat, fish scraps)
• Optional: small stone sinker, simple float (bark/wood)

Steps

1) Make the gorge

1. Cut a straight piece about finger-length.
2. Smooth sharp corners so it does not cut your lashing.
3. Cut a small notch near each end (not deep; just enough to keep the lashing from slipping).

If using wood: choose a straight-grained piece and avoid punky or cracked wood.

Sizing by target fish (when in doubt, go smaller — a small gorge catches big fish more often than the reverse):

Target fish	Gorge length	Gorge thickness	Line
Palm-sized	about 2 finger-widths	grass-stem thin	thinnest even 2-ply
Hand- to forearm-length	half to one finger-length	twig thin	standard 2-ply
Larger	a full finger-length or slightly more	up to half a thumb-width	doubled line or 3-ply

2) Tie the line to the middle

Goal: the line must not slip off-center.

1. Lay the line across the middle of the gorge.
2. Wrap tightly around the gorge 8 to 12 turns, keeping constant tension (full technique: Lash Objects Together (Cordage)).
3. Finish with two locking half-hitches around the standing part of the line (how to tie them: Tie Basic Knots), or tie off by tucking the end under the last wraps and pulling tight.
4. Pull hard to test: the lashing should not slide.

3) Add optional sinker and float

Sinker (stone):

1. Pick a small smooth stone.
2. Lash it 1 to 2 handspans above the gorge (wrap + jam the line into a shallow groove if you can scrape one).

Float (bark/wood):

1. Lash a small buoyant piece of bark/wood to the line above the sinker.

You can fish without either: a sinker helps get bait down; a float helps detect bites.

4) Bait the gorge

1. Wrap bait so it covers the gorge and hides the line tie.
2. Do not leave the gorge exposed; the goal is for the fish to swallow it.

Keeping bait on:

• Bind soft bait with a few turns of the thinnest fiber you have (a single ply teased from cordage scrap works).
• In current, prefer tough baits — grubs, snails, meat scraps with skin on — over soft ones that wash off.
• Re-bait after every strike: half-stripped bait exposes the gorge, and fish refuse an exposed gorge.

5) Fish with the handline

Pick a low-risk spot (avoid fast current and deep water).

1. Lower or cast the baited gorge into water.
2. Keep light tension and watch for repeated tugs or a steady pull.
3. When you feel a solid pull, lift firmly and keep tension (do not jerk wildly).
4. Guide the fish to shore or shallow water.

Method options:

• Still water: fish near cover (rocks, submerged branches, edges).
• Moving water: fish behind rocks and in slower eddies.
• Set line (higher risk of loss): tie the free end to a branch and check often.

Verification

• Lashing holds a hard pull without slipping.
• Gorge survives wetting and pulling without snapping.
• Bait stays on during gentle test dips.

Safety

• Water is dangerous: avoid slippery rocks, do not wade into strong currents, and do not fish alone if you can avoid it.
• Hooks are sharp: keep away from eyes and do not wrap line tightly around fingers.
• Food safety: raw fish can carry parasites and pathogens. If possible, cook fish thoroughly (see Make Fire (Hand Drill)).

Troubleshooting

• Fish take bait but you catch nothing: the gorge may be too long/thick for the fish size; make a smaller gorge and use smaller bait.
• Lashing slips: deepen end notches slightly and add more wraps; use drier/tougher cordage.
• Line breaks: cordage is too weak or damaged; make thicker line or switch fiber source.
• Bait falls off: wrap bait with a thin fiber tie, or use stickier bait.

Variants

• Improvised hook: a bent thorn or carved wooden hook can work, but gorges are simpler at low tech.
• Carved barbless hook: carve a J-shape from a naturally forked twig joint or dense bone, sharpening the short arm into the point. No barb means the fish stays on only while the line is tight — keep steady tension from strike to shore. Harder to make than a gorge, but reusable, easier to unhook, and better when fish are striking but not swallowing.
• Simple spear: sharpened stick fishing works in shallow clear water.
• Trap/weir: in some locations, passive fish traps are more efficient than hook-and-line.