Deep Sea Angling Game

Deep Sea Angling Game – This is a game that can be made quite easily and has the added advantage that it can be played by any number of boys and girls. The materials needed to build this absorbing game are few and can be obtained as little or no cost. You will need a large biscuit tin, a few corks, some screws, pieces of wood and some fishing lines and hooks.

First of all thoroughly clean the biscuit tin and soak off the label and all printed matter with water and sponge. Fill the the tin with water to see that it is really watertight all round the edges. If there are leaks of any kind, solder these securely with the tube solder that can be bought quite cheaply. The next step is to find some nicely rounded corks, about half a dozen of these, in good condition. Now you will need some pieces of flat, thin tin to cut into the shape of fishes’ heads. Get some pieces of very thin tin that can be cut without trouble with scissors. Six screws about 3/4 in long, screwed into the bottom of each cork, will do nicely as weights for the fish. Screw these into each cork as shown in the diagram, making sure that they are in the centre. Cut out the heads for the fish, bashing the shape on the illustrations, leaving a small piece across the mouth for hooking. The tin fish head is fitted into a slot cut in the top of the cork and it will stay in place. You can paint a gay head on each fish, using enamel paints and a fine brush. Varnish the head and the cork and it will be waterproof and look quite professional.

Now make the fishing rods. You will need a handle like a pencil; in fact, this would do quite well. Tie a piece of cotton about 9 in. long to the top of this and affix it to a bent hook. The hook is made from a piece of wire bent as shown. Put a gaily colored bead just above the hook, with the cotton threaded through this. It will help to keep your line rigid.

Now paint the outsides of the biscuit tin to imitate the scene under water. Put some rocks and weeds at the bottom and show a few fish leisurely swimming about. You can base your scene on the diagram. Use enamel paints of bright colors for your painting and the biscuit tin will certainly look like a most interesting aquarium. Give the tin a coating of varnish and it will glisten. Paint the inside of the tin with a light green color and coat it with varnish to make it shine and keep it waterproof.

The game is played by filling the tin with clean water, that has had a blue bag dangled in it, to give color. Then the fish are floated on the surface of the water by dropping them in. The screw will keep the cork upright and the head of each fish will above the water in a most realistic attitude. The first player fishes with his line and attempts to angle a fish by hooking it across the mouth as illustrated. The player that hooks the most fish in the winner.