Choosing a speargun: Itio Alemanni's advice

Choosing a speargun: Itio Alemanni's advice

THEperfect speargun It is the one that best suits the needs of the individual fisherman: it must be commensurate with the build and level of training of the diver, but above all it must be suitable for the type of fishing that is intended to be done.

It's not just about the length of the rifle and the hardness of the rubber: choosing the right speargun also means knowing how to evaluate other factors fundamental aspects, such as recoil and shooting accuracy, grip comfort and rifle fit.

In this new one Interview with Itio Alemanni, we asked the “father of rollers” what characteristics to consider when purchasing a speargun and what his approach as an expert fisherman is to choosing a speargun.

In the last interview you told us that the choice of speargun depends essentially on the type of fishing you want to do. Can you explain better what this means?

This means that if you have a very large rifle it cannot also be very heavy: if the setting is wrong, it tires your arm and leads you to miss the shot.Arbalete setup it should be neutral but slightly negative in front (we are talking about 20-30 grams), so as not to force you to tighten your hand to hold it. When shooting with a good rifle, the speargun should swing slightly at the tip.

The choice of the trim depends essentially on the type of fishing what do you do: a larger rifle tends to stay stiller at the moment of the shot and the recoil. So a heavier rifle shoots better, even if you move. The light rifle, on the other hand, moves with you.

The recoil is the mother of all mistakes: that's exactly why long guns are more precise, because they have a more linear recoil. And that's why Americans shoot with two hands: their rifles are very powerful but have an equally strong recoil, so they have to be held still with two hands...otherwise they would shoot in the air!

What features should you look for in a speargun?

The first one ever is the precision: means that it must be suitable for 90% of customers, that the aiming line must be within everyone's reach. For example, there are some brands that must advise customers to aim in a certain way otherwise the shot will not hit, no matter how strong you are. I instead believe that a rifle must have a instinctive shot, there is no point in having to explain how to aim.

The second very important thing is the possibility of adjust the shot, to be able to adjust the elevation: our spearguns, for example, allow you to adjust both the high and low shot, which can make the difference between catching fish and missing them. It can happen that a customer shoots too high or too low with one of our spearguns: in those cases, however, it is enough to explain to him how to adjust the shot to ensure that the speargun shoots exactly where he says. If he wants, he can also come to our pool and test the rifle under my supervision…it is certain that in a short time he will be able to hit every target without any problems. Issues of this kind are so trivial that they must be addressed as soon as possible.

Another important thing is to buy a speargun that has been tested: during the first loads, in fact, the tires stretch 3-8% and then they need to be adjusted again. And the shafts should also be tested, to be sure that the speargun shoots well. It is quite normal, in fact, to find shafts that shoot badly due to inadequate heat treatment. Try the arbalete It is fundamental: some Arab customers once told me that they had bought the most expensive speargun in the world and that they had not managed to catch even one fish. The diagnosis was very simple: that speargun had certainly not been tested.

In the rifles for the fishing in the blue, furthermore, it is essential to have ashaft with jointed tip, which prevents larger fish from bending the rod. The tips of our blue rods are all checked from this point of view. The great thing is that these solutions often come from the customers, those I call the “positive pain in the ass”, who give me honest advice and suggestions on how to improve my spearguns.

On the other hand there are many details which for me may not be important, while for other fishermen they can make the difference. Even years ago a Ukrainian customer sent me the 3D project of aergonomic different, I tried it and since then I have adopted it on most of my spearguns. With the old grip, some tended to shoot low and to the left. With the new system they have completely eliminated this problem.

What factors should be considered when choosing the length of the speargun?

It always depends on how you fish: if you fish in the blue, the longer the gun, the better. In this case, in fact, the fish can see you very well even from far away: in particularly clear waters you can have even 50 meters of visibility, so if you can't shoot at least 7-8 meters it is almost impossible to hit the target. However, all this must be related to the current: with a current of 3 knots it will be difficult to maneuver a very long speargun, so a compromise will have to be found.

For the fishing that takes place in the Mediterranean the speech is completely different: a 115cm speargun it's more than enough, in general. If you're ambushing in shallow waters, it's better to choose a short gun that's proportioned in such a way that if you touch a stone you can continue fishing.

In essence, the ideal length of the speargun can only exist for those who prefer a certain type of fishing underwater. Those who want to experiment with different types of fishing will almost always need several guns.

How to choose speargun rubbers?

Don't underestimate the temperature: today for example everyone uses the rubbers of a well-known American company that are excellent in warm waters, but below 18°C ​​they no longer work. If you fish at 30 meters deep however you need rubbers that are also good in cold water, because it's always winter there, and you need a tire that is reactive even at those temperatures. The places where you fish in the blue, on the other hand, are generally very hot, so you use very soft and progressive tires.

Rubber is not always the same: the starting material, the rubber, can have different characteristics from one vintage to another, and consequently it is necessary adjust the elongation of the tires before selling them. Last but not least, the tires also go tied correctly, otherwise they get flooded: three drops of water in a tire are enough and the rifle won't shoot anymore.

What spearguns does Itio Alemanni use for fishing?

I always go fishing a couple of hours before sunset, and I use two spearguns: one 50 centimetre long with a single rubber and a light rod for the last 40 minutes of fishing at dusk, when the fish are in very shallow and rather murky waters, and one 80 centimetre long, always with a single rubber and very light shaft, which I use when I fish more freely in the late afternoon. In the summer I only use the 80 cm speargun, which has a 4 meter throw and is enough to catch anything.

I have tried several spearguns over the years, but my way of fishing led me to break too many shafts. So I found my balance, at least for fishing in the Mediterranean. For fishing in the blue, however, I use a 120-centimeter carbon speargun and a 125-centimeter wooden one, which are a fair compromise between power and movement.

I choose the rifle in carbon if I have a trip planned where I know I will mistreat him, while that in Wood I reserve it for the occasions when I can fish in peace. With the carbon speargun there is almost no need for maintenance: just put a little grease in the trigger every now and then and wash the bearings with warm water. The wooden speargun certainly requires more attention: for example it must be oiled at least a couple of times a year, because when the oil wears out the speargun begins to absorb water and automatically loses its balance.

Any last advice for those who are about to buy a speargun?

I'm seventy years old, I've been going on the water since I was 11 and I go on 2 or 3 fishing trips every year: I do nothing but talk to fishermen, and this still allows me to discover new things. So the final advice I feel like giving to those who are choosing a speargun is to compare. When you have doubts about which gun to buy, a comparison with other fishermen can only help.