“Resourceful Creations”
Anglers are nothing if not creative and opportunistic – they even exhibit some ingenuity in a pinch. I’m not sure if the following examples are a good representation of those traits, however, or if instead they merely illustrate that anglers also have a good sense of humor.
From various shows and movies about surviving in the wilderness, I have learned that if you do not have a fishing pole, you can whittle a long stick, strip some thread from your sweatshirt, and start casting that paper clip and bottle cap lure. Pretty ingenious, I must say!
But what if you were in a survival situation without a fishing pole but only had access to a neighbor’s garage sale?
I wondered about this scenario when I spied an unusual assemblage, which won a third place ribbon in the Payne County Fair in Stillwater, Oklahoma – an old spin cast reel duct-taped to a 9-iron golf club. The entry was titled “Self Determined.” I was unable to contact the angler to inquire why a 9-iron was selected over a putter. Perhaps this angler prefers “power” over “finesse” fishing.
Another creation which could have evolved from a garage sale belongs to my artist and fishing friend David Horton. We were determined to go fishing on Oklahoma’s Lake McMurtry in my little jon boat despite the lack of a working trolling motor. I offered to row, but Dave had other ideas. He ended up combining a 2-cycle gas weed eater with the propeller from an electric trolling motor.
I cannot say this crossover of power tools was a complete success. It did move water, but this was mostly skyward, which then rained down on our heads and all our fishing equipment. Though we actually did move forward slightly, we were more successful in aerating a small portion of the lake.
Any other “resourceful creations” out there?
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Andy Whitcomb
Andy is an outdoor writer (http://www.justkeepreeling.com/) and stressed-out Dad has contributed over 380 blogs to takemefishing.org since 2011. Born in Florida, but raised on banks of Oklahoma farm ponds, he now chases pike, smallmouth bass, and steelhead in Pennsylvania. After earning a B.S. in Zoology from OSU, he worked in fish hatcheries and as a fisheries research technician at OSU, Iowa State, and Michigan State.