258 
FOREST AND STREAM 
June, 1921 
SINKERS 
M ANY and furious are the argu- 
ments, during some lull when the 
fish refuse to bite, regarding the 
advantages or disadvantages of the va- 
rious forms of sinkers; those used in 
surf fishing, for example. 
Now a surf sinker is a good deal 
more than merely a weight — it has sev- 
eral functions — one, to serve as a pro- 
jectile to carry the bait a good ways 
out to sea on the cast — another, to car- 
ry the bait to the bottom, and, finally, 
to hold the bottom and anchor the bait 
to the spot where it has sunk. The 
pull of the waves rolling towards the 
beach would soon carry an ordinary 
sinker back to the shore so the surf 
sinker, as in the case of all other leads, 
must be constructed for the end in 
view. 
Probably the most frequently used 
article for this form of angling is 
ITT/' E are depending upon the 
Y' friends and admirers of our 
old correspondent Nessmuk to make 
this department worthy of his 
name. No man knew the woods 
better than Nessmuk or wrote of 
them with quainter charm. Many 
of his practical ideas on camping 
and “ going light ” have been 
adopted by the United States 
Army; his canoe has been preserved 
in the Smithsonian Institution; and 
we hope that all good woodsmen 
will contribute to this department 
their Hints and Kinks and trail- 
tested contrivances. — [Editors.] 
head (3) “digs in” better — maybe its 
only imagination, but that’s what we 
fishermen have a lot of. 
termed the “Pyramid” (1) sinker, a 
four sided, pointed weight as shown; 
the weight when it reaches bottom, lies 
flat on its side and the edge of the 
square head digs into the sand and 
resists to a surprising extent the urge 
beachwards. The usual weight selected 
by the majority is four ounces and the 
eye, to which the line is made fast, 
should be of brass or some other rust- 
less material, as a rust spot soon rots 
the line. 
There are many modifications of the 
pyramid, all more or less carrying out 
the principal idea which is to improve 
upon the holding. One modification of 
the pyramid (2) has the top sunken in 
order to furnish a sharp edge, the ring- 
post, to which the line is made fast, 
also is free to turn, like a swivel. I 
have tried these sinkers and find them 
good; they hold well in a heavy surf. 
Many prefer the conical form rather 
than the square headed ordinary pyra- 
mid. I really do think that the round 
A NOTHER form of surf sinker (4), 
that I met up with on the beach 
last season, is triangular in sec- 
tion, and the ring-post is very long — I 
liked it very much and will state why 
a little further along. Now, as we have 
® JboA*r /inker/ 
way it will soon dig in again, and, if 
rolled a bit, it simply revolves. 
There is a bell-shaped sinker (5) 
that holds well; in fact, I have two 
that are still holding. Off the point 
at New Inlet, as some of you may 
know, there is a bed of very soft sand 
— possibly a hundred and fifty feet out. 
When a lead sinks into this its some job 
to retrieve even the ordinary sinker. 
The bell-shaped ones, as I remarked, 
held so well that they are there yet. 
Another surf lead (6) that is con- 
structed to hold well has a triangular 
head, and a long tail keeps it flat, pre- 
senting the head to the pull at all times. 
Another form is flat and sort of dia- 
mond-shaped, evidently made not to 
roll, though many do not think that it 
holds well. It seems to me that it 
might hold better if the swivel had 
been placed in the other end (7). 
I question the value too often placed 
upon the swivel; as a general thing I 
find that the swivel won’t “swiv”; it is 
often too tight or rough in the bearings 
and it simply turns with the line — of 
course, in trolling, where a lead keel 
sinker is used, or rigged with a weight 
properly attached, a swivel will keep 
the line from twisting. One of the 
best casting sinkers in the minds of 
many is the “Dipsey” (8). For a quiet 
sea it is all right, and one certainly 
can obtain distance with it. 
For still fishing or boat fishing the 
casting properties may be neglected — 
here the object is merely to sink the 
bait and to hold the line more or less 
vertical against the current. As for 
the shape it does not matter so much 
as a rule, except, but, of course, the 
question of entanglement among rocks, 
wreckage or weeds is to be considered. 
Troll inc ■/" inker/" 
seen, the surf sinker is constructed to 
withstand, as well as possible, the pull 
of the line shorewards. A round sinker 
naturally would be soon rolled ashore; 
in the pyramid shape, or some modifi- 
cation of it, if it is dragged a little 
S PEAKING of these sinkers, used 
by those that fare seawards, did 
you ever hear the yam of the iron 
sinkers? Well, it appears that there 
was a boat captain of profiteering ten- 
dencies who furnished iron sinkers to 
