Before you decide on a place to cast your hook it is best to look into the water to see whether any fish are there. Yes, certainly, you can look into the water and see the fish that are there swimming about, if you have the proper equipment. What you need is a water telescope. This is a device made of wood or metal with one end of glass. When the glass end is submerged, by looking in at the open end, objects in the water are made plainly visible to a considerable depth. In Norway, the fishermen use the water telescope regularly in searching for herring shoals or cod.

The Water Telescope

The Water Telescope

All that is necessary to make a wooden water telescope is a long wooden box, a piece of glass for one end and some paint and putty for making the seams watertight. Fix the glass in one end of the box, and leave the other open to look through. Wooden Water Telescope

Illustration: Wooden Water Telescope

A tin water telescope is more convenient than the wooden one, but more difficult to make, The principal essential for this is a circular piece of glass for the large end. A funnel shaped tin horn will do for the rest. Solder in the glass at the large end and the telescope is made. Sinkers consisting of strips of lead should be soldered on near the bottom to counteract the buoyancy of the air contained in the watertight funnel and also helps to submerge the big end. The inside of the funnel should be painted black to prevent the light from being reflected on the bright surface of the tin. If difficulty is found in obtaining a circular piece of glass, the bottom may be made square and square glass used. Use plain, clear glass; not magnifying glass. To picnic parties the water telescope is of great amusement, revealing numerous odd sights in the water which many have never seen before.