Page:The American Boy's Handy Book edition 1.djvu/61

It not unfrequently happens that an amateur is unable to take advantage of most excellent fishing, for the want of proper or necessary tackle.

It may be that he is accidentally in the neighborhood of a pickerel pond or trout stream, or that his fishing tackle is lost or delayed in transit. Under such circumstances a little practical ingenuity is invaluable. If within reach of any human habitation you can, in all probability, succeed in finding sufficient material with which to manufacture not only a rod which will answer your purpose, but a very serviceable reel. To rig up a home-made trout rod, you need a straight, slender, elastic pole, such as can be found in any wood or thicket, some pins, and a small piece of wire. File off the head of several pins, sharpen the blunt ends, and bend them into the form of the letter U. At a point about two feet from the butt end of the rod drive the first pin, leaving enough of the loop above the wood to allow the fish line to pass freely through; drive the other pins upon the same side of the rod and at regular intervals. Make the tip of a piece of wire by bending a neat circular loop in the centre, and then knitting or binding the wire on the end of the pole (Fig. 35). Should you have enough wire, it will answer much better for the other loops than the pins. If at a farm-house look in the attic for an old bonnet frame, or some similar object likely to be at hand, and it will furnish you with plenty of material. Cut the wire in pieces about two and