My first Guns

[Don Paul]

My old dive den from 1988;
# 1 Top- Negra Modelo- I made this gun in 1981, it has a 72'' Teak barrel, 6061T6 rail tube with teflon coating.
open black nylon muzzle with angled SS pin line cross over to secure the shaft. (some one Borrowed this from me before I could patent).Ti reinforced twin handles ( can be shot from ether) Undersea mech with hand milled
17/4 sears, Early Riffe reel, Bands had wire wishbones as to fit 4 in the 5/8 muzzle hole, Panther butt pad.400# Jinki shoot line.Shark inlay in shell, Mil spec camo tape. shark fin 3/8-5/16 or 9/32 maraging steel
shafts. center handle contained lead shot for different trim ballast.Max wt was 7lbs.
I built this gun to hunt the gin clear blue water of French Poly. It would pierce fish at 30 feet off the tip when rigged with 4 16mm bands @300%.

#2 Very oldTeak Florida Reef Rifle I bought years ago from a guy named Fry,3/8 shaft and flopper. I killed two Yellowtail with it before I hung it on the wall.
#3 Mares Titian ... Love this gun.
#4 Double Trouble Mk 1, 67'' 7075 T6 square tube, over under with delrin rails and 1/4'' Lace wood planking.
Dacor popper with trip line. Composite Reel and 5OO# kevlar.17/4 hand milled mech at the very rear.4 5/8 french bands @ #300%5/16 or 9/32 top shaft to brake away,45''x1/4'' bottom shaft to reel. I could write a book on this gun... but not tonight.

#5 Tiputa, a 58'' laminated mahogany barrel, maple and white oak handle keyed to barrel,hand milled 17/4 sear.
6061T6 gold reel with 500# kevlar.muzzle Ti inner plate and open muzzle line hook.When I built this gun in
1984 to replace a lost gun, it had a enclosed track I later milled off after pool tests,has inlay.
#6 R.I.P, 40'' Teak gun and euro reel. (story later).Marlin lure.

Little sister of Negra Modelo.
#7 Soda bottle charged Barracuda gun hrom the 60's.
and a Prodonavich and Charlie Sturgile in the corner.

Cheers, Don Paul

 

[foxfish]

Great stuff mate, we have been waiting to see some of your guns.
I am a little confused though - why aren't your guns made from square edged wood, American guns are are normally like a block of lumber with a spear on top!!
Whats with the two handle design - I just love it but why?

 

[Don Paul]

Great stuff mate, we have been waiting to see some of your guns.
I am a little confused though - why aren't your guns made from square edged wood, American guns are are normally like a block of lumber with a spear on top!!
Whats with the two handle design - I just love it but why?

Thanks for the compliment Foxfish, sorry for the poor image quality,they are
just old scanned snapshots.

I was fortunate to evolve as a spearfisherman in the warm clear waters of
Bora Bora and Moorea Island. My Tahitian friends wrote the book on subsistence spearing of fish.
I can still remember the sweet aroma of vanilla,tiare and local cooking fires
as I searched hours for the perfect storm toppled hibiscus tree. A plant
which yields not only beautiful flowers but strong light wood favored by the
locals for guns and fishing floats.
On Tahiti lived a spearfishing legend... World Champion Jean Tapu....
to be cont.
Don Paul

 

[devondave]

Thanks for the compliment Foxfish, sorry for the poor image quality,they are
just old scanned snapshots.

I was fortunate to evolve as a spearfisherman in the warm clear waters of
Bora Bora and Moorea Island. My Tahitian friends wrote the book on subsistence spearing of fish.
I can still remember the sweet aroma of vanilla,tiare and local cooking fires
as I searched hours for the perfect storm toppled hibiscus tree. A plant
which yields not only beautiful flowers but strong light wood favored by the
locals for guns and fishing floats.
On Tahiti lived a spearfishing legend... World Champion Jean Tapu....
to be cont.
Don Paul

Good grief man , you can't stop there , I was just sinking into warm clear water with the smell of vanilla in my nose and . . . and you stopped .
Comming from cold , grey UK this stuff is like gold dust .
More please .

Regards ,
Dave .

 

[acevedo joseph]

X2 keep it coming Don , :thankyou

thanks again for sharing, Joe

Good grief man , you can't stop there , I was just sinking into warm clear water with the smell of vanilla in my nose and . . . and you stopped .
Comming from cold , grey UK this stuff is like gold dust .
More please .

Regards ,
Dave .

 

[Don Paul]

Statics for the next 2 days.
Cheers, Don

 

[foxfish]

We will still be here.....

 

[podge]

Great stuff, roll on 2 days time.

 

[Don Paul]

On Tahiti lived a spearfishing legend... World Champion Jean Tapu....


Jean Tapu had won the 1967 World Spearfishing Championships in Cayo Avales Cuba with a thumb trigger Tahitian spear gun.

After returning to Calif with the hibiscus timber concealed inside a black ski bag,
I hung the wood to dry all summer behind my Laguna Beach home.
As local polespear waters turned cold by December, I set out on that journey to
build my first gun. I used a friend's table saw to shape a blank out of the strong light wood.
Maybe the 2 week stay in paradise with just the sounds of sea birds, wind and sweet Tahitian song brought about a time
for silence. I cringed at the screaming whine as the table saw ripped hot chips from the little flower tree.
Before the whirling blade stopped spinning a thought developed into an idea. This first hunting tool will be created from quiet hand held blades of fine carbon steel, coveted by a young New England boy.
To be cont...

 

[Don Paul]

Here's a wee bit more...above.

 

[foxfish]

We want more still.....?

 

[spaghetti]

Of course we want more, Don. Thanks for sharing.

But I can't stop thinking of you landing from Tahiti with a ski bag and make it through the customs no question asked.
Deputy: Excuse me sir, would you mind disclosing what's in that long bag?
Don: Oh, never mind. Just my ski set. The snow was fantastic in Polynesia!
Deputy: Yes of course, sir. Thanks for cooperation. NEXT!.....
rofl

 

[Don Paul]

Of course we want more, Don. Thanks for sharing.

But I can't stop thinking of you landing from Tahiti with a ski bag and make it through the customs no question asked.
Deputy: Excuse me sir, would you mind disclosing what's in that long bag?
Don: Oh, never mind. Just my ski set. The snow was fantastic in Polynesia!
Deputy: Yes of course, sir. Thanks for cooperation. NEXT!.....
rofl

You absolutely would not believe what I used to roll in front of LA US customs with.
Deputy: Whats in the black ski bag sir?
Me: Fishing equipment... do you me to open it?
Deputy: Are you bringing in any fish?
Me: No, just my dive gear and fishing equipment... do you want me to open the black ski bag?
Deputyo you have any plants?
Me: just the gardenia in my girls hair.
Deputy: Well were going to have to take that, could you drop it in this bag sir.

In my many travels around the world with gear I found never use the word
speargun, knife or powerhead it is always fishing equipment.
Times have changed now.
Cheers, Don

 

[spaghetti]

Absolutely! In italian language the trick is even more necessary as our word for speargun is "fucile", rifle.
It can be called "underwater rifle" (fucile subacqueo) or fishing rifle (fucile da pesca), but still that word is a big no with customs and even mail couriers: RIFLE???!!!

Now back to your story, buddy. You had left us here:
I cringed at the screaming whine as the table saw ripped hot chips from the little flower tree. Before the whirling blade stopped spinning a thought developed into an idea. This first hunting tool will be created from quiet hand held blades of fine carbon steel, coveted by a young New England boy............To be cont...

 

[Don Paul]

In 1979 I lived at Victoria Beach, a hippie named Richard always had a few of the local cuties gather when he came out of the surf with a nice fish.
The other big chick magnet was a dog named Bear,a huge red husky we had trained to pee on tourist's beach towels. I decided getting a dog was out of the question and set out building a pole spear out of some left over carbon fiber rod I had in my garage. I borrowed the green trident head from my childhood flounder sticker and I was ready to go.
The next day I walked down the long stairs past Ozzie Nelson's house armed
with my frog fins, mask, and new pole spear. At the base of the stairs I was refreshed by the spray of a large shore-brake as it curled down the sand.
On the beach, my friends were playing volleyball as I waited for a lull in the set and hustled through the white water.
Once outside the breakers I pulled my mask up from around my neck, sealed it and dropped into the crisp clear November water.Now the lack of wet suit, big surf and a long pointy thing got me thinking a dog may be not such a bad thing after all. Just then a small corbina finned into view, I dropped down and
saw the dark shape of a large uncovered halibut. In one motion I dove to
the bottom thrusting the frog gig hard into his head. Great billows of sand erupted as I pined his head and finally was able to get a death grip within the gills.Now the fish was convulsing bait fish as a started for shore.
As I looked at my friends on the beach I could see them standing up and pointing at me. Finally a little attention for the non-surfing Yankee Boy

.
Wow.... where did all that water go...what is that loud hissing sound ?
As I glanced over my shoulder a sick feeling came to the pit of my stomach,
like when you run out in front of a car and say ...Oh Shite!
The huge wave sucked me in and over the curl, I didn't know where my mask
and polespear were but me and my flatty were heading for shore.
I also don't remember body slamming that tourist with the black knee socks and sandals, lying on that new $20.00 beach chair.
Then the great wave receded with it's bounty of coolers,boggie boards and tanned bodies.
Bear was licking my face when I opened my eyes, blood was dripping off my trashed hand and a 25# Halibut was in my lap.''That was Far Fuc-kin Out'' how long you been surfin flatties? asked a sleek blond bartender I knew from the White House Pub.
It was right then I knew California was my new home.
Beach's, barbecues, and blonds with a dog named Bear.

Cheers Don Paul

 

[podge]

Don, that’s a great story, I can almost see you flying up the beach on the back of a bloody great Halibut.

 

[acevedo joseph]

Wow Thanks for the good read Don, this thread is GOLD for sure !!
please keep it coming ,,, Joe

 

[Don Paul]

Wow Thanks for the good read Don, this thread is GOLD for sure !!
please keep it coming ,,, Joe

Thanks Guys, and Joe I'm a diver not a writer..... trees grow faster than I type. I need to get out and get in a workout with Dillon his baseball season
is almost here. I'll be back mate I need to burn off some of this winter coat.
Ciao, Don

 

[Old Man Dave]

I'm enjoying this thread too, Don. Keep it going.

Dave.

 

[Don Paul]

Received some Phil Herranen resin to touch up some bare wood on Double
Trouble and Tiputa (laminate hondo gun). I'll post some images in a couple weeks as the work goes forward.
Cheers, Don Paul