802 
FOREST AND STREAM 
would be light enough in weight to be practical 
as a fishing boat would be soon . pounded to 
pieces by the surf during heavy storms if left 
on the water’s edge. 
For a buoy there are several things that can 
be used to good advantage. Perhaps the easiest 
of them all to secure would be the butt of an old 
pine tree with the bark shaved off and with a 
number of coats of heavy paint plastered on it. 
This is good because it will, if kept well painted 
each year, last as long as the boat itself. The 
paint will prevent it from becoming rotten by 
the action of the water and so becoming water¬ 
logged. 
If one wishes a buoy to float high out of the 
water, however, a log will not do. They are 
often made of cork, but the price of these is 
rather staggering, too much to pay to throw a 
thing into the water to rot. The next best thing 
is no doubt a small oaken keg, a whiskey keg 
for example; they ride well in the water and do 
very good service. There is not a little care at¬ 
tached to their use though. It is necessary to 
paint them very carefully and keep them in that 
condition. During the winter they can not be 
left to dry out, but must be filled with water and 
kept in a damp place, otherwise they will be 
warped out of shape by spring, and useless. 
Another thing that makes a serviceable buoy 
is an empty powder can. The lead cork in one 
end (the only opening) can be rendered water 
tight by screwing it into some white lead which 
is then allowed to dry before the can is painted, 
for painted it must be as the thin coating of 
enamel already on it will not prevent its rusting. 
Take two pieces of heavy galvanized wire at 
least an eighth of an inch in thickness and just 
long enough for the two ends to meet when 
placed around the can in two of the grooves 
near each end. Bend back an inch of each end 
at right angles, then bend, this inch double around 
a large nail so that an eye is formed. Do this 
to all four ends of the wires. 
Obtain two iron stove bolts two inches in 
length, place wires around can, run bolts through 
the eyes and draw tightly together with pinchers. 
Take another length of wire, length to be de¬ 
termined by size of can, and after forming a loop 
in the center, fasten both ends around the bolts. 
The loop in the center of this wire is to be used 
to fasten the anchor chain and boat chain to the 
buoy. By using just the one loop in this way 
the boat will ride very easily, the buoy turning 
with each lift of the bow of the boat, and at the 
same time there is a complete chain running from 
the boat to the anchorage, which is not the case 
if anchor chain is fastened to the bottom of the 
buoy and the boat chain to the top. When the 
latter method is used the buoy has to stand the 
direct strain between the boat and anchor, which 
will make it fill with water through condensation 
much quicker than is the case when the former 
method is used. 
Always use a chain for a permanent anchorage, 
as a rope is sure to wear out somewhere along 
its length during the summer, and as a rule, just 
as the storms of fall arrive, it will part and one 
is lucky if the boat is not ground to pieces like 
an eggshell on some rocky point before it is 
finally thrown high and dry on the shore by the 
high running waves. 
Just such an experience the boss went through 
one fall because he did not have foresight enough 
to realize that a rope, no matter what its thick¬ 
ness or fineness of quality, can not stand the 
constant yanking of a boat for any great length 
of time and not unravel. 
A good chain always gives one a sense of se¬ 
cureness entirely lacking when a rope is used. 
One feels that no matter how hard the wind is 
blowing, no matter how furious the storm may 
be where we are, we know that the boat will 
be in its allotted place when we arrive at the 
camp on the following Saturday. Somewhat bat¬ 
tered and weather worn to be sure, but never 
the less it is still whole, which it is very likely 
would not be the case if a rope were used. And 
when one stops to consider that the prices of the 
rope and chain are very similar it seems strange 
that a rope should ever be selected as the pref¬ 
erence. 
A good landing place can be made with very 
little trouble and expense, although this is a sort 
of luxury, for the shore itself is generally con¬ 
sidered good enough; still it is a luxury that will 
be appreciated after months of yanking the boat 
up on the shore every time one wishes to land. 
It is often possible to find a number of logs 
floating on the surface of any lake at odd times 
while casting around the shores. Select three 
or four of these and tow them to the landing 
place. (If they be small perhaps more will be 
necessary; at any rate they must be buoyant 
enough to support the fisherman’s weight when 
fastened togethei.) 
Nail strips of planking across each end with 
heavy spikes. Re-enforce with a length of chain 
across each end of the logs (which of course 
must be lying parallel with each other) and fast¬ 
en by placing a spike through a link of the chain 
into each log. 
On the shore end more chain can be used by 
spiking to the middle log and around a stake 
driven into the ground on shore. It can then be 
anchored out in the water by the use of a huge 
rock or number of rocks on a short chain. 
When completed this will answer the purpose 
of an expensive regularly built dock, and as long 
as we are not to be there during the week to take 
care of it we do not care how many storms and 
high winds toss it about, for no matter how much 
grinding against the shore it has to undergo it 
will still be there when we want it. 
This feature of every thing being fastened se¬ 
curely in place so that we may always feel sure 
that it is in the spot we left it, so that we may 
not have to go chasing over the entire country 
side to assemble our effects that may have drift¬ 
ed away, and generally do drift away under other 
circumstances, is one of the decided comforts of 
these hurried week-end trips. For if we wish 
to get the late afternoon and evening fishing we 
have no more time than is necessary to get our 
actual fishing outfit collected, row out after our 
boat, get settled comfortably and start after the 
fish. 
Minnows are always a good thing to have on 
hand, no matter how the fishing is being done, 
they always come in handy at some time or other. 
It is possible with proper care to keep them in 
first class condition during a whole summer, and 
in a place from whence they may be taken at 
any time one desires. 
The first thing to do is to locate a small stream, 
generally emptying into the lake not far from 
the camp. If there are no pools of two or three 
feet in depth, then one can be easily dug out 
by the use of a spade, or it is often possible to 
build a small dam with rocks so that the water 
will be of the required depth. 
Make an oblong box, six feet long and three 
wide, preferably of one inch pine. Cover the 
bottom with heavy galvanized wire netting. 
Cover both ends with the same wire, but sup¬ 
plement it with some of very close weave, so 
that the minnows may not get through. 
The whole top of the box can serve as a door 
by placing heavy galvanized iron hinges along 
one side and a hasp and padlock on the other, 
or if great strength to keep out intruders is de- 
