"What an exciting find that was!" the moderator told Bored Panda about finding the bridge-side pistol.

"I very much enjoy the tranquility of the birds chirping and the sun hitting my face while I magnet fish in a quiet spot somewhere. Even if I don't find anything, I'm outside and it's relaxing. The adrenaline whenever something catches onto the magnet is a great feeling, sure, most of the time it's just garbage, but occasionally you find a recognizable item and that truly gets me excited," they told us that this gets them wondering how the thing got there, what happened in the area, whether they could clean the thing up and use it again. Scroll down for our full interview with the moderator of r/magnetfishing, u/Syberz, Pandas!

Redditor u/Syberz is the sole moderator of r/magnetfishing. However, they are not the creator of the actual community. They took over after the original creator was out of the picture. "I asked the Reddit admins if I could take over from the original creator whose Reddit account hadn't logged in for 3 years or so," they explained to Bored Panda what had happened.

"My interest in the community started when I discovered the hobby via some YouTube videos in 2017 and thought that I could help build it out a bit. In the 5 years I've been moderating, the membership grew 100-fold and I never expected that kind of growth. I believe that the coronavirus pandemic really helped grow the popularity of the hobby since everyone was looking for things to do on their own and around their home," they explained that the lockdowns led to people picking up new hobbies, especially ones out in nature.

"We went from a pretty unknown niche hobby to being featured in news articles all over almost overnight. At first, it was mostly Americans, but now we've got members from all around the world."

The moderator was humble and said that they couldn't take credit for the entire FAQ. "It started from one that a member created and I've only added to it over time. Judging by the questions popping up on the sub, I'd say that the contents are fairly complete. I would perhaps re-iterate that the pull strength of the magnets that we use does sound ridiculous (some use 500kg strength magnets) and that people might think that 50 or 100kg is more than enough because, 'I can't lift 400kg!!', but the high strength merely ensures that small items remain stuck to your magnet and don't come off too easily in the mud or algae," they urged not to underestimate more powerful magnets.

"Another point I'd mention is that the hobby is not for those who are looking to make money. With metal detecting, there is a chance at gold, silver, and other precious metals, but not with magnet fishing. We only find rusted iron-based items and at a few cents per kg of scrap, it will take quite some time just to recoup the cost of the magnet."

The moderator is very environmentally conscious. They told Bored Panda that the main principle that magnet fishing enthusiasts should follow is leaving the area cleaner than when they arrived.

"Occasionally, I'll come up to an area where another enthusiast tried his luck and I'll find a ton of rusted garbage just sitting there on the ground. That makes me sad. People should always bring the junk back with them and dispose of it correctly, even just throwing it in a nearby bin is already better than leaving it out to rust. Something else that those wanting to enter the hobby should be wary about is their local law," they said that this activity may be governed by special rules, meaning you need a permit.

Bored Panda was curious to learn more about how the redditor handed over the pistol that they found by the old bridge. They said that the gun would have been a "cool souvenir," but they didn't want to take any chances by not handing it over to the right authorities. "I called the non-emergency number of the local police to report that I had found a gun. They asked me where I was and although I didn't know the area, I was able to give them an accurate location using Google Maps on my phone," they told Bored Panda.

"The most complicated bit was doing all of this in broken German since I don't speak the language, it was tricky but the officer on the phone knew some English and the one that showed up on site was able to understand me... due to my great miming skills, no doubt," they quipped. "The officer on site thought that I had found the gun on the ground but I showed him my rig and mimed what I was doing and he seemed to understand, although he seemed a bit surprised and confused."

A few days after that, u/Syberz got an unexpected call from a detective, asking to meet at the police station. "He and his partner interviewed me in English, asking where exactly I was and what I was doing. They then took me to the location where we met a team of crime scene investigators who had a metal detector. I explained again where I was and what I was doing (the CSI thought that my hobby was awesomely cool), gave a DNA sample so that they could rule me out from any DNA found on the gun, and then drove me back to the station. They thought that the gun may have been related to a robbery that happened nearby, but I never got any updates or info since."

Magnet fishing is an interesting mix of curiosity, action, spending time in the Great Outdoors, and environmentalism. At its core, the hobby is about fishing up metal objects from bodies of water, whether that’s a lake, river, or the real-life Sewer Level that video game creators love adding left and right.

The motivations of each hobbyist are bound to be a tad different. For some, it’s about cleaning up their local environment from the trash that others have dumped. For others, it’s a chance to hunt for treasure—there’s a lot of overlap with people who love metal detecting (and you can find Bored Panda’s recent article about the most stunning finds right over here). Though for many, we suspect, it’s a mix of curiosity, environmental concerns, and a healthy dose of greed. Who doesn’t want to fish up a suit of armor or a chest full of gold? We’d also love to get our magnets and ropes on Excalibur and lay claim to Albion, but that might be a bit harder.

At the time of writing, the r/magnetfishing subreddit had 155k members. The online community itself has been around since October of 2013, and will be celebrating its 9th birthday very soon. Members of the sub are humorously referred to as ‘rusty fish hook collectors,’ while those who are online at the moment are said to be ‘getting their socks wet.’

The community obviously loves humor and is good-natured. They welcome anyone who wants to check out “all of the funky stuff” that they found. Though new members should definitely check out the FAQ and read through the rules in the sidebar first. It all boils down to being polite, avoiding ads and clickbait, and not crossposting pics from other subreddits.

The neodymium magnets that these hobby enthusiasts use are incredibly strong: they’re powerful enough to let them drag safes, bicycles, and even bits of cars out of the water. Obviously, it’s important to invest in a good pair of protective gloves (or two).

There are some concerns regarding the environmental impact that magnet fishing might have. For instance, some environmentalists are worried that by removing metal objects from the bodies of water, fishing enthusiasts might stir up sediment which may contain toxic materials. Others worry that magnet fishing can disturb archeological sites. There’s also the issue of fishing up items like guns, bombs, and grenades.

Depending on where you live, you may get a fine or even end up in jail if you’re magnet fishing without a government permit. It’s always best to get your documents in order to protect you down the line. Meanwhile, if you end up fishing up something dangerous and weapon-related, it might be a very good idea to contact the local authorities.

Like the r/magnetfishing community members mention in their FAQ, if you do end up finding an explosive like a grenade, artillery shell, or cannonball, gently put it on the ground. Do not try to remove your magnet; call the authorities. “Just because it looks inert, it does not mean that it is, in fact, inert.” Safety first!

The sub also reminds hobbyists that a stuck magnet isn’t worth your life: you don’t know how deep the water can be, what currents lie underneath, and what sharp objects might be waiting for you in the dark.

So, dear Pandas, which of these underwater finds did you think were the most impressive? Have you ever tried magnet fishing before? Has this article kindled your curiosity and are you thinking of doing a bit of research and trying things out for yourself? Let us know what you think in the comments. But remember: safety first!