the means by which inmates who are locked down pass things, including commissary items, from cell to cell
How do inmates trade goods in supermaximum when they are never allowed out of their cells? The answer is by "fishing."
A fishing line consists of a long piece of string with a weight attached to one end. The string is usually obtained from bed sheets or prison attire. Weights can be made from combs, soap, plastic bags containing toothpaste, or the flat end of a toothpaste tube snapped off from the rest of the tube, the latter option being the most popular due to its efficiency. Using these items an inmate can assemble a fishing line in excess of twenty-feet long.
To exchange goods with someone housed on the same floor, two inmates will first ascertain whether each of them have sufficient lengths of fishing line to meet each other. Every cell door at SMU2 has a two-centimeter gap between the bottom of the door and the floor. The possessor of the longest fishing line will slide his weight under his door in the direction of the room that he wishes to trade with. Depending upon his fishing skills, it may take several attempts to get the weight into the desired area. Following a failed attempt, the inmate simply yanks the line back into his cell and tries again. When the weight is in a good spot, the second inmate will slide his weight out, aiming to catch his weight on his trading partners line. Upon snagging the line, the second inmate will then reel in both lines. The lines are then securely tied and store items can be transferred to and fro by attaching a large Manila envelope to the joint line, and filling it with the desired goods.
Passing flat items such as stamps, envelopes, newspapers, pen refills, and paper is easy. Larger items such as chips (crisps) or candy bars have to be squashed flat or crushed into particles. Coffee and stamps are the two most heavily-traded items.
How do inmates housed upstairs trade with inmates housed below them? This requires lengthy fishing lines and considerable talent. The upstairs inmate slides his weight directly out from under his cell door and over the balcony in the direction of the inmate downstairs who he wishes to trade with. It may take several attempts to get the weight positioned in a good spot downstairs. The downstairs inmate then slides his weight out and when the two are connected he reels them both in. Items can be passed up and down, between the two floors, via the two joined lines using envelopes or plastic bags.
Sometimes, mishaps occur, lines may snap and loads may get stuck on the run. Fishing rods made out of newspaper can be used to retrieve lost items or lines when such accidents happen.
Fishing is banned and opportunistic guards will snatch fishing lines. Getting caught fishing after receiving a warning can result in an inmate getter stripped out. Being stripped out consists of an invasive strip search followed by a rigorous cell search. Master fishermen will generally fish after the hourly guard walks, to minimise their chances of losing their lines.
When fishing traffic is in full flow, the run takes on a life of its own. Envelopes are rapidly sliding across the floor and plastic bags can be seen floating upwards as if they were balloons. Fishing lines are barely visible, so to an observer it looks as if ghosts are moving objects around. It is an amazing sight to first lay eyes on, and a credit to inmate ingenuity.
-from Jonsjailjournal
A fishing line consists of a long piece of string with a weight attached to one end. The string is usually obtained from bed sheets or prison attire. Weights can be made from combs, soap, plastic bags containing toothpaste, or the flat end of a toothpaste tube snapped off from the rest of the tube, the latter option being the most popular due to its efficiency. Using these items an inmate can assemble a fishing line in excess of twenty-feet long.
To exchange goods with someone housed on the same floor, two inmates will first ascertain whether each of them have sufficient lengths of fishing line to meet each other. Every cell door at SMU2 has a two-centimeter gap between the bottom of the door and the floor. The possessor of the longest fishing line will slide his weight under his door in the direction of the room that he wishes to trade with. Depending upon his fishing skills, it may take several attempts to get the weight into the desired area. Following a failed attempt, the inmate simply yanks the line back into his cell and tries again. When the weight is in a good spot, the second inmate will slide his weight out, aiming to catch his weight on his trading partners line. Upon snagging the line, the second inmate will then reel in both lines. The lines are then securely tied and store items can be transferred to and fro by attaching a large Manila envelope to the joint line, and filling it with the desired goods.
Passing flat items such as stamps, envelopes, newspapers, pen refills, and paper is easy. Larger items such as chips (crisps) or candy bars have to be squashed flat or crushed into particles. Coffee and stamps are the two most heavily-traded items.
How do inmates housed upstairs trade with inmates housed below them? This requires lengthy fishing lines and considerable talent. The upstairs inmate slides his weight directly out from under his cell door and over the balcony in the direction of the inmate downstairs who he wishes to trade with. It may take several attempts to get the weight positioned in a good spot downstairs. The downstairs inmate then slides his weight out and when the two are connected he reels them both in. Items can be passed up and down, between the two floors, via the two joined lines using envelopes or plastic bags.
Sometimes, mishaps occur, lines may snap and loads may get stuck on the run. Fishing rods made out of newspaper can be used to retrieve lost items or lines when such accidents happen.
Fishing is banned and opportunistic guards will snatch fishing lines. Getting caught fishing after receiving a warning can result in an inmate getter stripped out. Being stripped out consists of an invasive strip search followed by a rigorous cell search. Master fishermen will generally fish after the hourly guard walks, to minimise their chances of losing their lines.
When fishing traffic is in full flow, the run takes on a life of its own. Envelopes are rapidly sliding across the floor and plastic bags can be seen floating upwards as if they were balloons. Fishing lines are barely visible, so to an observer it looks as if ghosts are moving objects around. It is an amazing sight to first lay eyes on, and a credit to inmate ingenuity.
-from Jonsjailjournal
by Shaun Attwood February 28, 2008
Get the fishing mug.by Confuseded February 7, 2005
Get the FISH! mug.a subversive colloquialism, often used by male friends or 'mates', to comment on the fact that one of the males has captured the interest of some third party, most commonly a sexually viable female
by jimmah32 August 12, 2014
Get the Fish On mug.Verb
1. To catch fish.
2. To acquire, or go after something.
Noun.
1. The animals that swim in the water.
2. A new bitch in prison.
3. Smelly pussy. Few pussies actually smell like fish, despite the common parlance of the term.
See: alcove, bat cave, bear trap, bearded clam, bearded taco, beaver, bermuda triangle, box, bucket seat, cake, chuff box, cockpit, cooch, coochie, coochie-pop, coose, cooter, cooze, crack, crawl space, cum depository, cum dumpster, cuntcake, cunt, cunny, donut, dripping delta, felted mound, fillet-o-fish, finger hut, fish taco, front bum, fly catcher, fuckhole, garage, gash, gates of Heaven, golden doorway, Grand Canyon, growler, hair pie, hatchet wound, heaven's door, hole, honey cave, honey pot, hot box, jaws of Hell, lobster pot, loins, loose meat sandwich, lotus, love box, love canal, lower lips, meat wallet, muff, nooch, nook, nookie, peach, pearly panty gates, pocket, poon, poontang, purse, pussy, quiff, quim, rat trap, scratch, sheath, slash, slit, snapper, snatch, space, split, stench trench, tampon socket, temple, thingy, tool shed, tuna, tunnel, twat, undercut, vagina, vertical smile, wishing well, whisker box, womb, x, yoni
1. To catch fish.
2. To acquire, or go after something.
Noun.
1. The animals that swim in the water.
2. A new bitch in prison.
3. Smelly pussy. Few pussies actually smell like fish, despite the common parlance of the term.
See: alcove, bat cave, bear trap, bearded clam, bearded taco, beaver, bermuda triangle, box, bucket seat, cake, chuff box, cockpit, cooch, coochie, coochie-pop, coose, cooter, cooze, crack, crawl space, cum depository, cum dumpster, cuntcake, cunt, cunny, donut, dripping delta, felted mound, fillet-o-fish, finger hut, fish taco, front bum, fly catcher, fuckhole, garage, gash, gates of Heaven, golden doorway, Grand Canyon, growler, hair pie, hatchet wound, heaven's door, hole, honey cave, honey pot, hot box, jaws of Hell, lobster pot, loins, loose meat sandwich, lotus, love box, love canal, lower lips, meat wallet, muff, nooch, nook, nookie, peach, pearly panty gates, pocket, poon, poontang, purse, pussy, quiff, quim, rat trap, scratch, sheath, slash, slit, snapper, snatch, space, split, stench trench, tampon socket, temple, thingy, tool shed, tuna, tunnel, twat, undercut, vagina, vertical smile, wishing well, whisker box, womb, x, yoni
Did you go tuna-diving for that fish again?
by T. J. October 30, 2003
Get the Fish mug.the act of beginning to fish, it can be fishing for fish, women or anything that you might be interested in catching at the time.
Ben "hey man you wanna go see that new movie?"
Joel "no man i can't i just got my fish-on im gonna be here all day"
Joel "no man i can't i just got my fish-on im gonna be here all day"
by short round and dangerous April 21, 2009
Get the fish-on mug.A. A sport which involves catching fish. This is usually done with a net or pole.
B. An act preformed in jailhouses. Fishing happens when the current fish (a new inmate in prision, the bitch) either leaves, gets transfered, or is just plain used up. Fishing is teh process of selecting a new fish for the jail. Once fishing is complete the newly deemed fish is raped by the other inmates as they chant "fish........ fish....... fish...."
B. An act preformed in jailhouses. Fishing happens when the current fish (a new inmate in prision, the bitch) either leaves, gets transfered, or is just plain used up. Fishing is teh process of selecting a new fish for the jail. Once fishing is complete the newly deemed fish is raped by the other inmates as they chant "fish........ fish....... fish...."
A. Me and my friend Winston went fishing off the pier. Then we played some wiffle ball
B. Peter, the current fish was dry and used up so the jailhouse went fishing and selected Tom as their new fish. Then they pulled the cords and had a seizure.
B. Peter, the current fish was dry and used up so the jailhouse went fishing and selected Tom as their new fish. Then they pulled the cords and had a seizure.
by Ownage December 8, 2004
Get the fishing mug.by Oliverkush September 17, 2013
Get the FISH mug.