May, 1919 
FOREST AND S T R E A :\1 
223 
A HANDY BAKER 
P URCHASE a heavy tin baking pan 
1 such as can be obtained in any hard- 
ware store. Fashion a cover from a 
I 
piece of sheet tin and fasten it to the pan 
by means of the simple tongue and- slot 
hinge, as shown in cut. Brace the pan 
before the fire by means of a log or stake 
and, adjusting the cover to the proper 
angle, hold it in place by means of a 
wire. The pan will come in handy to 
carry odds and ends of your camping 
outfit and when fastened shut by a little 
catch will keep the contents snug and 
tight, 
H. L. R. G., Connecticut. 
POCKET MINNOW NET 
T ake a round block of wood, about 
three inches in diameter and about 
an inch thick, and bore four holes op- 
posite to each other around the edge. 
Insert a piece of umbrella rib about 
twelve inches long in each hole. Make 
the holes small enough so the ribs will fit 
tight. Leave the ends of the ribs that 
have the little eyes in outside. Lay the 
block and ribs, which will look like the 
hub of a wheel with four spokes, on a 
square piece of mosquito netting and sew 
the four corners of the net to the eyes in 
the ribs. In the center of the block put 
a screw-eye and in the center of the net 
sew a piece of string, leaving the ends of 
the string about eight inches long. Any 
straight, stiff stick picked up on the 
shore will serve for a handle. Make it 
fast to the net with string through the 
screw-eye. With a piece of bread as 
bait tied to the string in the middle of 
the net it is ready to catch minnows. 
They will come over the net for the 
bread and when it is raised up quickly. 
the resistance of the water causes it to 
belly and the minnows cannot get out. 
When you have finished using it, pull the 
ribs out of the holes, drop the block 
in the net and roll it up on the ribs, 
making it compact to carry. 
TAKE CARE OF YOUR ROD 
E very season your fishing rod should 
be carefully gone over and varnished 
if you want to keep it in good condition. 
Clean all the metal parts with rotten- 
stone and sweet oil, but never touch the 
male ferrules. With a piece of old felt, 
a little extra fine pumicestone and raw 
linseed oil rub it down thoroughly, being 
careful in the wiping not to chafe the 
silk; wipe off very clean and let it stand 
for a day or two to get dry. Then 
take a fine-haired flat brush and give 
one coat of fine oil finish. Suspend the 
rod by strings for one or two days and 
give the second coat, suspending it again 
for a few days so it will get hard. Now 
take old felt, raw oil and rottenstone and 
rub it lightly but thoroughly; wipe off 
with an old rag and you will have a 
handsomely finished rod. Water will not 
affect it. When you stop fishing wipe 
the rod dry and when you get home or 
to camp rub it well with raw oil on a 
rag. Oil the male ferrules with a drop 
of good gun oil, polish the moutings and 
put it away in its case. 
J. P. H., New Jersey. 
A DURABLE ROD CASE 
A S the ordinary rod case of leather 
doesn’t always prevent rods from be- 
coming broken while traveling, I devised 
and made a case for any pet rod by tak- 
ing a piece of light brass tubing of suit- 
able length about two inches in diameter 
and soldered a cap of heavy tin for the 
bottom. A large cork provided a stopper 
for the other end •tf^hich I fastened to a 
little chain and soldered the other end of 
the chain to the tube so as to prevent 
it from becoming lost. Bits of brass wire 
were bent into U shape and soldered at 
How the rod case looks 
proper intervals to the side of the tube 
so as to form attaching points for the 
carrying strap. I enameled the tube black 
and I now have a good looking case and 
one that is practically unbreakable. 
G. G., New Jersey. 
A FISHING OUTFIT 
T ake a piece of bamboo about an inch 
in diameter and cut it so as to form 
a hollow tube about four inches long. 
Sectional view of outfit 
Insert a cork in each end and you will 
have a receptacle in w'hich you can put 
shot, sinkers, etc. One of the corks can 
be used as a float and by empaling hooks 
on the other oite, as shown in cut, you 
will be able to keep them in such a 
position as to prevent all possibility of 
their becoming lost or entangled in the 
lining of your pocket. Wind your fish 
line around the outside and hold the 
loose end in place by pushing it in with 
one of the corks. This will give you a 
compact fishing outfit and one that you 
can easily carry in your hunting coat 
pocket and will come in handy when you 
happen upon a good fishing place. 
W. R. J., Alaska. 
TO SKIN AN EEL i 
P LACE the eel on its back on a board i 
and with thumb and forefinger on | 
each side of its head at gills, press firmly i 
down and cut a very narrow slit across 
its neck just below the fins with a very j 
sharp knife. Force the knife through i, 
backbone, but do not cut through the 
skin. Raise eel from board and holding I 
head in left hand, place point of knife in i 
slit and cut and rip down the belly 
through the vent and let the slit stop 
in the fin. Take out insides and work 
the knife at severed backbone until the 
skin is free from flesh for about two ij 
inches dowm from head. Holding the I 
head in left hand, place thumb of right s 
hand back of detached flesfi, with blade ;• 
of knife against the backbone on the belly • 
side and pull the skin off as you would f 
a sock. The skin should not be cut from i 
the head as it provides a handle to hold 'i' 
it by when pulling. F. A. S. ^ 
