Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-08-08
FISHING WITH BOTTLES.

FISHING WITH BOTTLES.
4 New Way Of Combining Seamanship,
Sport and the Art of Fishing.
Catching fish is surely a very novel
use for a bottle, but the feat is easily
accomplished and affords u great deal
3f amusement and excitement
A number of empty champagne or
beer bottles being obtained. each one
is to be filed with sand or shot until
it will stand upright when floated in
water. Each bottle is then tightly
corked and a strong tapering ash or
hickory stick, eighteen inches long, is
passed through each cork. this stick
having small, bright-colored burgee
"a three-cornered f1ag) at its tip.
Next piece of wire is twisted around
the neck of the bottle. so that it can
not slip of. and in this wire a large
loop u made to which the fsh-line is
fastened. The length of the line must
depend entirely upon the depth of the
water to be ished; ten feet is usually
long enough The hooks. for general
use, should be of medium size-say
No. 5. Moderately heavy sinkers are
attached to the line. A swivel will
make the outfit complete. although
not absolutely necessary. If the bot
ties themselves cost nothing, a dozen
may be prepared at a cost of twenty
five cents.
ready. may be used in number of
ways. They may be set in row on
the bank of a stream. or on a pier.
close to the edge; the hooks having
been properly baited. are to be
dropped into the water. 1t will not
be long before one of the bottles will
begin to waver and suddenly take a
mighty leap overheard, swimming off
and bobbing around in a very peculiar
manner. The excitement which a row
of these fshing-bottles will arouse.
and the guessing as to which bottle
will go first. is very amusing, and not
to be despised as sport.
One or more of the bottles having
popped off and been taken in tow BY a
| fish, must now be rescued; this can be
done by means of a long stick having
three hooks, without barbs. dashed to
it, back to back; some one of the
hooks will soon catch into the loop of
wire around the neck of the bottle and
you can draw in both bottle and fish.
Where there is lake or pond at
hand, and boat available. the bottles
! may be taken out from the shore and
SET afloat around the boat. If the fish
are at all lively and there are many
| bottles to tend there will be some
very exciting sport in chasing the
| bottles. for they will start in all direc-
tious at every moment.
Where there is number in the party
''sides'' may be chosen-two sets of
bottles being furnished, an even num-
oer to each, and each set having a flag
differing in color. The side catching
the most fish wins whatever prize is to
be awarded.
| For sea-fishing an additional ar
rangement is needed, because the
waves cause the bottles to bob up and
dow n SO that it is hard to know when
a fish bites. The flag is brought into
use as a signal. The upright rod is
furn sshed at it's tip with small screw
| ~ anu @ ooh1P VI ILL Ihl CO 1hShOo
long is fastened by it's lower end to the
lower end of the rod parallel with it,
SO a. to make spring-clip. The flag
is fa:tened to the end of the line, and
is set by being caught in the clip
made by the strip of tin. In this posi-
ton the flag is lowered" as it were,
being at the foot of the rod; but when
the fish bites he pulls it away from
the clip and raises it to the top of the
rod, where it stops. being too large to
go through the eye. That the flag
may fly straight, and not be drawn
into the eye and crumpled, it is best
to sew it to a straight bit of wire. hav-
ing a loop at the top to which the line
| is tied.
Another improvement is to paint the
| inside of the bottle white. by pouring
in white paint and shaking it around
and then pouring it out and letting the
bottle dry. Then prepare the bottle
as described. and should large fish
turn the bottle upside-down, as he
very likely will. it can be readily seen
and followed. Awake.