How To Make A Primitive Funnel Fish Trap That Keeps On Giving

Passive trapping versus active hunting is almost always preferred in a survival scenario.  Not only does trapping typically require less energy, but it also enables one to focus on other important survival tasks such as shelter, fire, water, foraging and signaling.  Passive fish traps are among some of the oldest documented relics from indigenous cultures all over the globe.  Stone weirs built many hundred years ago in rivers and low tide areas still exist today.  Funneling fish for easier capture was a strategy used to put food on the table in almost every primitive culture.  While different trap designs exist, there is one design that seems to be universal – the woven funnel trap.  Whether made from bamboo in the wetlands of Asia, reeds on the coast of New Zealand or grapevine in the forests North America the funnel basket trap varied only slightly in design across multiple continents and cultures.  This speaks to its effectiveness in the field and I can confirm first hand that it is one of the most effective primitive methods for putting fish in the frying pan.  Below is one method I use to build a classic Primitive Funnel Style Basket Fish Trap.

There are essentially two parts to the funnel basket trap: the body and the inverted cone cap.  The concept (as can be seen by the schematic below) is simple.  Lured by the scent of bait, the fish enter the main trap body through the inverted cone shaped cap.  Once inside they aren’t smart enough to figure out how to get back out.  It’s not at all uncommon to catch other types of water critters in these traps as well including crayfish, crabs, shrimp and even small turtles.

It all starts with building the main trap body, which is typically in the shape of large cone.  The size is based on the type of fish you’re attempting to catch.  I’ve had great success with traps that measure 4-5’ long and the main body opening in the 20-24” range.  To build the main body framework you’ll need 7 to 11 small saplings a little longer than your intended main body trap length.  The main body must have an odd number of ribs.  This is necessary for the over/under weaving pattern that we’ll discuss later.  The number you use isn’t important.  I normally use 7.

If you have cordage then this process will be easier.  In this example I’ve used willow bark cordage exclusively.  During the spring and summer months you can easily strip the bark from willow saplings in long strips.  These strips make perfect cordage for lashing together a funnel trap.

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