What’s That Thing?

Every profession and form of recreation has tools that are specialized for that activity. Fishing is certainly like that. Equipment has evolved over the years to make fishing easier. When I started fishing it was with bamboo “cane” poles that my Dad purchased. We had about 5 ft. of line that was like kite string, a cork bobber, a hook on the end and an old nut from a bolt used as a weight. We fished in the drainage ditch near our farm in Geneseo for bullheads and carp. If you got a bite you yanked the fish out of the water.

You never see cane poles these days. Also rare today are the early baitcatcher reels and old fiberglass rods. Even earlier were rods made of steel. My brother, Steve, had such a rod with a baitcatcher reel. The early reels were easily snagged inside in what we call a “bird’s nest”. The usual solution was to take out a knife and cut off line until you reached the knot. I still bird nest my baitcaster reel.

I was fishing with Steve’s rod and reel in the old drainage ditch. I likely didn’t ask him if I could use it. I hooked a large carp, but couldn’t get the reel to work to bring it to the bank. So I improvised, put the steel rod over my shoulder and walked up the bank dragging the fish out of the water. The result was a rod with a 90 degree bend permanently formed.

In college, my roommate introduced me to spinning reels. Open faced spinning reels take a little bit of skill, so he suggested I try a spin cast reel, which has a push button. I purchased one and fished with it for several years. After we were married, Connie bought me an open faced Abu Garcia with a fiberglass Shakespeare rod. I wore that thing out.

I have acquired many fishing rods, reels, and fishing tools over the years. As I wrote before, I am a real sucker for anything that is supposed to help catch fish. Most trips to outdoor stores result in added equipment. Most things I buy get little use.

Some of the tools I actually use regularly are in the photo below. Removing a fish hook often takes long nosed pliers like the pair I purchased in Florida with my Step-Dad Al. The clippers cut line and have a little hook is for clearing bird nests , the file sharpens hooks and the puncher clears paint from the eyes of jig heads. The knife cuts my nightcrawlers in half.

I thought I had seen all the tools you could own. I didn’t own them all, but I could identify their purpose. Then Don showed up with this thing.

Like the guys on “This Old House” Paul and I tried to guess what it was. There was some discussion that it might have a medical purpose, even gynecological. Eventually he showed us what it does when he caught a fish.

So what do you think it is?