Magnet fishing, also called magnetic fishing, is searching in outdoor waters for ferromagnetic objects available to pull with a strong neodymium magnet. [1] Recovered items may be dangerous, such as firearms, ammunition, and bombs.
Magnet fishing, also called magnetic fishing, is searching in outdoor waters for ferromagnetic objects available to pull with a strong neodymium magnet. [1] Recovered items may be dangerous, such as firearms, ammunition, and bombs.
In English, people who practice magnet fishing may be called magnetfishers, magneteteers, or neodemons.
It is thought magnet fishing was initially started by boaters using magnets to recover fallen keys from the water. [2]
Magnet fishing can recover metal debris such as discarded bicycles, guns, [3] safes, [4] bombs, [5] grenades, [6] coins and car tire rims from bodies of water, but many who engage in the hobby are hoping to find rare and valuable items as well. [7] [8]
Magnet fishing is typically done with gloves, [9] a strong neodymium magnet secured to a durable rope between 15 and 30 meters (50–100 ft), and sometimes a grappling hook as a supplement to the magnet. [10]
Some magnet fishers have retrieved dangerous objects, including loaded guns, unexploded ordnance, [11] [12] [5] [13] and sharp pieces of metal. [9]
Neodymium magnets are powerful and can interfere with pacemakers, posing a health risk; they can also damage other electronic devices. Fingers can get crushed between the magnet and a piece of metal, potentially causing serious bodily harm. [10] Tetanus can also be a risk for those without an up-to-date tetanus vaccine. [7] [ medical citation needed ]
Depending on the jurisdiction, anything of value may belong to the local government, not the finder. [11]
Amateur magnet-fishers in Belgium helped the police by recovering new evidence, specifically firearms and ammunition, related to the crimes of the Brabant killers. [14]
In general, police urge those who find weapons or similar items to contact them. [2] [15]
The rules of magnet fishing are the same as those governing the detection of buried objects:
“No one may use equipment capable of detecting metallic objects for the purpose of searching for monuments and objects likely to be of interest to prehistory, history, art or archaeology without first obtaining an administrative authorisation issued in accordance with the applicant’s qualifications and the nature and manner of the search”. [16]
In Hamburg, magnet fishing without a permit is punishable by fine. [17] [18]
Magnet fishing is subject to local regulations concerning outdoor waters. The Canal & River Trust, which owns most of the canals in England and Wales, has bylaws prohibiting people from removing material from the canal and rivers it owns, so fishers may be subject to a £25 fine [19] for magnet-fishing or removing any material from canal or inland navigation under the control of the Canal & River Trust in England or Wales, other than the Lee and Stort Navigation, Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, and River Severn Navigation. [20] The Trust "expressly prohibit[s]" the practice, although it refrains from legal action against first-time offenders. [2] In 2018, a child magnet-fished a sawn-off shotgun out of the Titford Canal in Oldbury, West Midlands. [21]
According to Polish penal code, magnet fishing without a valid government permit is a crime punishable by up to two years imprisonment. [22] [23] [24]
Magnet fishing is allowed in Scotland, as long as the fisher has obtained a Scheduled Monument Consent from Historic Environment Scotland, and permission from Scottish Canals. An official group exists which gives its members permission to magnet fish in a stretch of the Union Canal in Edinburgh, with more locations planned in the future. Archaeological or historical finds must be reported to Treasure Trove Scotland. [25]
In the US, there are no federal laws restricting metal fishing. Magnet fishing in state waters without a license is prohibited in South Carolina under the Underwater Antiquities Act. [26] In Indiana, magnet fishing is allowed on public waters on Department of Natural Resources properties by permit. The magnet must be able to be carried and retrieved by hand. [27]
The hobby has been adopted by celebrities such as English rugby player James Haskell. [9] [2]
Neodymium is a chemical element; it has symbol Nd and atomic number 60. It is the fourth member of the lanthanide series and is considered to be one of the rare-earth metals. It is a hard, slightly malleable, silvery metal that quickly tarnishes in air and moisture. When oxidized, neodymium reacts quickly producing pink, purple/blue and yellow compounds in the +2, +3 and +4 oxidation states. It is generally regarded as having one of the most complex spectra of the elements. Neodymium was discovered in 1885 by the Austrian chemist Carl Auer von Welsbach, who also discovered praseodymium. It is present in significant quantities in the minerals monazite and bastnäsite. Neodymium is not found naturally in metallic form or unmixed with other lanthanides, and it is usually refined for general use. Neodymium is fairly common—about as common as cobalt, nickel, or copper and is widely distributed in the Earth's crust. Most of the world's commercial neodymium is mined in China, as is the case with many other rare-earth metals.
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques include hand-gathering, spearing, netting, angling, shooting and trapping, as well as more destructive and often illegal techniques such as electrocution, blasting and poisoning.
The Hudson River is a 315-mile (507 km) river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York, United States. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York at Henderson Lake in the town of Newcomb, and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between New York City and Jersey City, eventually draining into the Atlantic Ocean at Upper New York Bay. The river serves as a physical boundary between the states of New Jersey and New York at its southern end. Farther north, it marks local boundaries between several New York counties. The lower half of the river is a tidal estuary, deeper than the body of water into which it flows, occupying the Hudson Fjord, an inlet that formed during the most recent period of North American glaciation, estimated at 26,000 to 13,300 years ago. Even as far north as the city of Troy, the flow of the river changes direction with the tides.
A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, steel, nickel, cobalt, etc. and attracts or repels other magnets.
A metal detector is an instrument that detects the nearby presence of metal. Metal detectors are useful for finding metal objects on the surface, underground, and under water. The unit itself consists of a control box, and an adjustable shaft, which holds a pickup coil, which can vary in shape and size. If the pickup coil comes near a piece of metal, the control box will register its presence by a changing tone, a flashing light, and or by a needle moving on an indicator. Usually the device gives some indication of distance; the closer the metal is, the higher the tone in the earphone or the higher the needle goes. Another common type are stationary "walk through" metal detectors used at access points in prisons, courthouses, airports and psychiatric hospitals to detect concealed metal weapons on a person's body.
A mudlark is someone who scavenges the banks and shores of rivers for items of value, a term used especially to describe those who scavenged this way in London during the late 18th and 19th centuries. The practice of searching the banks of rivers for items continues in the modern era, with newer technology such as metal detectors sometimes being employed to search for metal valuables that may have washed ashore.
A neodymium magnet (also known as NdFeB, NIB or Neo magnet) is a permanent magnet made from an alloy of neodymium, iron, and boron to form the Nd2Fe14B tetragonal crystalline structure. They are the most widely used type of rare-earth magnet.
A stun grenade, also known as a flash grenade, flashbang, thunderflash, or sound bomb, is a less-lethal explosive device used to temporarily disorient an enemy's senses. Upon detonation, a stun grenade produces a blinding flash of light and an extremely loud "bang". They are often used in close-quarters combat, door breaching, and riot control, typically to stun enemies or distract them.
Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is professional fishing for profit; or subsistence fishing, which is fishing for survival and livelihood.
Dredging is the excavation of material from a water environment. Possible reasons for dredging include improving existing water features; reshaping land and water features to alter drainage, navigability, and commercial use; constructing dams, dikes, and other controls for streams and shorelines; and recovering valuable mineral deposits or marine life having commercial value. In all but a few situations the excavation is undertaken by a specialist floating plant, known as a dredger.
A samarium–cobalt (SmCo) magnet, a type of rare-earth magnet, is a strong permanent magnet made of two basic elements: samarium and cobalt.
Marine debris, also known as marine litter, is human-created solid material that has deliberately or accidentally been released in a sea or ocean. Floating oceanic debris tends to accumulate at the center of gyres and on coastlines, frequently washing aground, when it is known as beach litter or tidewrack. Deliberate disposal of wastes at sea is called ocean dumping. Naturally occurring debris, such as driftwood and drift seeds, are also present. With the increasing use of plastic, human influence has become an issue as many types of (petrochemical) plastics do not biodegrade quickly, as would natural or organic materials. The largest single type of plastic pollution (~10%) and majority of large plastic in the oceans is discarded and lost nets from the fishing industry. Waterborne plastic poses a serious threat to fish, seabirds, marine reptiles, and marine mammals, as well as to boats and coasts.
A rare-earth magnet is a strong permanent magnet made from alloys of rare-earth elements. Developed in the 1970s and 1980s, rare-earth magnets are the strongest type of permanent magnets made, producing significantly stronger magnetic fields than other types such as ferrite or alnico magnets. The magnetic field typically produced by rare-earth magnets can exceed 1.2 teslas, whereas ferrite or ceramic magnets typically exhibit fields of 0.5 to 1 tesla.
Magnetic implant is an experimental procedure in which small, powerful magnets are inserted beneath the skin, often in the tips of fingers. They exist in tubes and discs. This procedure is popular among biohackers and grinders, but remains experimental. Magnetic implants are often performed by amateurs at home, using readily available surgical tools and magnets found online. However, some professional body modification shops do perform implant surgeries. Magnetic implants can also be used as an interface for portable devices to create other new "senses", for example converting other sensory inputs such as ultrasonic or infra-red into a touch sensation. In this way the individual could 'feel' e.g. the distance to objects.
Electropositive metals (EPMs) are a new class of shark repellent materials that produce a measurable voltage when immersed in an electrolyte such as seawater. The voltages produced are as high as 1.75 VDC in seawater. It is hypothesized that this voltage overwhelms the ampullary organ in sharks, producing a repellent action. Since bony fish lack the ampullary organ, the repellent is selective to sharks and rays. The process is electrochemical, so no external power input is required. As chemical work is done, the metal is lost in the form of corrosion. Depending on the alloy or metal utilized and its thickness, the electropositive repellent effect lasts up to 48 hours. The reaction of the electropositive metal in seawater produces hydrogen gas bubbles and an insoluble nontoxic hydroxide as a precipitate which settles downward in the water column.
Tinker, also known as Microsoft Tinker, is a puzzle video game developed by Fuel Industries in which the player controls a robot through various mazes and obstacle courses. It was originally released on September 23, 2008 as part of Windows Ultimate Extras, and contained 60 levels including a 20-level tutorial. A free map editor was also released, however it is not compatible with the Games for Windows – Live version of Tinker. It is only compatible with the Windows Ultimate Extras version.
Metal Storm Limited was a research and development company based in Brisbane, Australia, that specialized in electronically initiated superposed load weapons technology and owned the proprietary rights to the electronic ballistics technology invented by J. Mike O'Dwyer. The Metal Storm name applied to both the company and technology. The company had been placed into voluntary administration by 2012.
The World Fly Fishing Championship is organised by the Confédération Internationale de la Pêche Sportive and takes place annually since 1981 between 30 teams of six individuals per country, over five sessions. The 2020 event was postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though resumed in August 2021 in the Kuusamo and Taivalkoski regions of Finland.
The Pacific Salmon War was a period of heightened tensions between Canada and the United States over the Pacific Salmon catch. It began in 1992 after the first Pacific Salmon Treaty, which had been ratified in 1985, expired, and lasted until a new agreement was signed in 1999. Disagreements were high in 1994, when a transit fee was set on American fishing vessels using the Inside Passage and a ferry was blockaded by fishing boats in Friday Harbor, Washington.
A magnetic slime robot is a self-healing soft robot made up of polyvinyl alcohol, borax and neodymium magnet particles. It was co-created by professor Li Zhang of Chinese University of Hong Kong. It is a non-Newtonian fluid that behaves like a liquid or solid depending on force, having "visco-elastic properties". The robot is developed by and could be deployed inside the human body to perform tasks such as retrieving objects out of it. Contrary to its name, it currently does not have a robot in it, and is only controlled by magnets. It can reach speeds of 30 millimeters per second.
41. No person unless authorised by the Board in that behalf or otherwise legally entitled so to do shall: ... (d) Dredge or remove coal or other material from any canal.
Media related to Magnet fishing at Wikimedia Commons
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