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23/05/2005: "BEGINNINGS catch your family a feed"

Ben Cropp wrote an informative instruction handbook for underwater photographers, scuba divers and spearfishermen. Many of the original photo's were taken by Ron Taylor. This was the era of the Taylor-Cropp diving partnership which produced among other things the first shark hunting documentary for television, The Shark Hunters.

Ben's handboook proved extremely popular and several reprint editions were made in the following twenty years.

It contained a chapter 'How to Build your own Speargun'. I found this very informative and encouraging and went to work on a piece of silky oak timber. I made just three spearguns.

Soon after, I lost the first gun when a large whaler shark took-off with the spear, the gun and 60 feet of ski rope and a yellow float, none of which ever surfaced on the mirror calm day at Flat Rock off North Stradbroke Island.

On a recent trip with Ben Cropp he brought out his original Queenslander, his home-made gun (pictured) from 1959 which is still his favourite, now fitted with a spring stainless steel shaft.

Making your own speargun gives a nice sense of achievement. If you keep the front slot, which holds the single rubber, tight and small, the rubbber will remain fixed in place. This saves some time when reloading.

A single loop of cord is also simplicity and was always the choice of both the above champions.