Preface

One of the most satisfying experiences a fisherman can have is to catch a fish on a fishing lure he has fashioned with his own hands. The trout angler has excellent books on how to tie his own flies, but little printed information has been available to anglers who want to make their own plugs, spoons, spinners, metal squids, jigs, and other fresh- and salt-water'lures. So that is how this book came to be written.

As these pages will demonstrate, it is not necessary to be a skilled crafts­man to make lures. Most anglers already possess the ability to handle the few necessary tools, and if they follow the directions and also let the illustra­tions guide them, they can make excellent lures. The lures may not look professionally perfect, but they will catch fish, and that's all that really counts.

And if the angler makes his own lures, he'll probably catch more fish, in the long run. The reason for this is psychological. An angler who uses a store-bought plug or jig tends to be hesitant about casting it around rocks, logs, piles, and masses of seaweed. He figures he paid good money for it and doesn't want to lose it—even though he knows some of the best fish are caught around such obstructions. And other lures such as jigs are most effective when bounced on the bottom, when they often get fouled and lost. So, rather than lose his costly lures our cautious angler casts into safer spots, which con­tain fewer fish!

The angler who makes his own lures just doesn't have such inhibitions. He figures the lure he ties to his line cost him very little in cold cash and was fun to make.

So what, if it is lost? He casts into all kinds of risky spots and loses some lures. He also catches more than his share of fish. Another good argument is that the angler who buys his lures in a store usually carries only one or two of a certain type or size. If he loses them, he's through fishing for the day, if the fish happen to want that particular lure. But the make-them-yourself angler usually has plenty of spares and rarely runs short.

Making fishing lures can be an enjoyable hobby, especially during the long winter months when fishing is slow. It has even been argued that the joy of designing and creating a lure offers as much if not more pleasure than the actual fishing. So, have fun!  Good luck and good fishing.

Vlad Evanoff Brooklyn, N. Y.
May, 1959

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