Kittens With Mittens On The Ice

[davetclown]

<B>Ice Fishing Tip #22</B><br><br>This may sound strange, but kittens (kids) will enjoy ice fishing more than you may imagine. (Provided you don’t take them out on the coldest day of the year) There is nothing like it, the joy of seeing your child pulling his first fish out of a hole in the ice.<br><br>Children love their parents, children love handy crafts, and children love to go fishing when started at an early age. So what do you would happen if you combined all the things that children love all together in one package.<br><br>If you haven’t built on the principal of compounding all your family and hobby skills in to one neat package than you are missing out on something really spectacular. <br><br>Imagine if you will the excitement of starting an ice fishing excursion say three days in advance. Why three days in advance you ask? You need time to gather the needed materials that will get your child hooked on fishing and mom/pop for life.<br><br>This is the recipe for what I call;<br><br><B>”Kittens With Mittens On Ice”</B> <br><br><B>1)</B>First thing you need is the legendary story of that monster gill (or what ever, it is your legend) living at the bottom of the lake and how he has managed to escape every attempt you have made to land him and he can only be caught through the ice in the middle of winter and then only by some one very young. (Use your imagination) your child will love and hang on every word you say. (Children love a fantasy based on truth)<br><br><B>2)</B>This next part is very important. <B>Ask your child if he/she would like to join in the quest of catching that legendary fish.</B>His or her reply will be yes, but of course first we will need to build that magic fishing pole unlike any other pole that anyone has ever seen before (you will want your child to help build it – very important) <br><br><B>3)</B> here comes the easy part, you need some old materials that can only be found in the shed, garage, hard ware store… <br><br> An old broken fishing rod, dowel rod, or that magic ½ inch stick growing in the back yard… about 12 – 18 inches in length. <br> <br> You only need one eye at the end of the pole. (a small eye screw will do)<br><br> You will need to put something on the pole to hold fishing line. (That can be anything.) old line spool, two screws in to the handle or if using an old rod handle use an old real with about 30-40 feet of line.<br><br>With your pole now built, you need to add the part that makes it magic. You take a piece of 1x3 wood stock two feet in length. <br><br>Cut the first piece about 12 inches in length for the base. (A)<br>Cut the second piece about 8-10 inches in length. (B)<br>You will have a piece about 2-4 inches left, keep it you will need it. ( C) <br><br>Take part (B) and notch out a “u” or “v” shape about 3-4 inches deep and 1-1 ½ inch wide.<br>Measure a little less than half way on part (A) and mount the un notched part of part (B) to part (A) matching the sides together. <br><br>Take a handsaw and cut a slot in the top of part (B) (across both sides of the notch at the same time) this slot should be ¼ deep and 1/8th – ¼ inch in width.<br><br>Mount part ( C) to the long end of part (A) the same way you mounted part (B).<br><br>Now add the magic. Balance your hand made pole at its pivoting point. At this point you will drill 1/16th – 1/8th hole straight through. Place a 3 inch finish nail through the hole and match the lengths on each side and epoxy the nail in place. Be sure to round off the point of the nail. <br><br>Now test it, with the line on the pole place the nail in the slot of your pole holder with the line holder on top. With a hook on the end of the line hanging a an inch from the tip of the pole, hang a quarter size washer on the hook. The pole should tip over making the handle stick up.<br><br>That takes care of day one and two<br> ______________________________________<br>Now you have to work together and plan on a snack for the time you are going to be on the ice. Peanut butter and jelly samich and hot tomato soup in a thermos will do just fine. Have your child make sure all the ingredients are where they are suppose to be. Now you will have to help your child set out his/her clothes that they are planning to wear. Make sure to include the mittens.<br>That takes care of day 3<br> ______________________________________<br>Now you will take off on your adventure to catch that legend. And when he bites, the pole will tip down and your child can grab the handle and not have to take off their mittens.<br><br><B>Meaning that your kittens wont be smitten by Jack Frost with out their mittens. </B><br><br><br>[cool] “Don’t forget to wiggle your jig.” davetclown