| Making your own fishing tackle, just as fly | | | | |
| tying, can be a very rewarding activity. I | | | | These two places carry everything you'll ever |
| actually enjoy making lures and tying flies | | | | need to make any lure or fly you can imagine, |
| as much as I do fishing. | | | | as well as sinkers, jigheads, rods and nets. |
| | | | |
| If you live up North, it's also a great way | | | | I won't go in to flies here, because that |
| to stave off the Cabin Blues of deep winter. | | | | could cover several books. I will concentrate |
| You won't really save any money, but you can | | | | on conventional lures, going from the |
| derive deep satisfaction from catching fish | | | | simplest, to the most complicated. We'll |
| on something you hand-crafted yourself. | | | | start with the most low-tech, but one of the |
| | | | most successful lures...the spoon. |
| I can't describe the feeling of | | | | |
| accomplisment, especially when other anglers | | | | A spoon is just what the name suggests. A |
| come over to look at your creations. | | | | convex surface, painted or textured, or just |
| | | | plain smooth, and a plain concave surface |
| If you have it in mind to make lures and sell | | | | which is the bottom of the lure. It has a |
| them on EBay to make money, I hate to | | | | small hole drilled or punched in each end, |
| disappoint you, but China cranks out millions | | | | with a split ring and hook on one end, and a |
| of inexpensive flies and lures every year, | | | | plain hole, or swivel on the other to tie the |
| and re-sellers have flooded the internet with | | | | line on. |
| them, just like retail stores. You can get 12 | | | | |
| French spinners for as little as $9.00 on | | | | That's it. On the retrieve, it wobbles, darts |
| EBay. | | | | from side to side, flutters and drives fish |
| | | | crazy. They can even be tiiped with live bait |
| There is no way you can make them that cheap | | | | ,or skirts, or plastic bodies. A plain |
| at home. Are they as good as your own | | | | version can easily be made by cutting the |
| hand-crafted ones? Of course not. | | | | handle off of a suitable sized culinary spoon |
| | | | and filing the cut smooth. |
| A lot of the time they don't even work right, | | | | |
| and fall apart after a few fish. But...they | | | | Then simply drill a small hole in each end |
| got sold! If you're going to get into | | | | and attack a spit ring and hook at the larger |
| tacklecraft, do it for your own enjoyment. | | | | end, and tie your line to the other hole. I |
| Your not going to get rich making lures. | | | | would recommend attaching a split ring and |
| | | | swivel to the line end, because due to the |
| I have made lures out of left-over Balsa | | | | violent action of the lure, the metal can cut |
| Wood, old teaspoons, costume jewlery and the | | | | your line. |
| like. They worked fine. But you can | | | | |
| economically get the correct parts online to | | | | You can paint the spoon, hammer a texture |
| make lures as good as anything out there. My | | | | onto it, dress the hook with bucktail , |
| favorite places are | | | | marabou, or a rubber skirt, or tip it with |
| | | | whatever you want. |
| Barlow's Tackle Express and Cabelas | | | | |