Pickle Jar Fish Trap

Here's a good way to catch small fish from streams and ponds. By making this simple fish trap and setting it in a stream small fish, such as StickleBacks and Bull-Heads, can be easily caught. The trap can be baited with fish food and only needs to be inspected daily to see if anything has been caught.

Construction:-

The trap is made from a glass pickled onion jar aprox 150mm high and with a screw lid of about 70mm in diameter. A hole is cut into the lid to allow the fish to enter. The metal lid on this type of jar is usually of a thin enough guage to be cut with a sharp pair of scissors. A cone then needs to be constructed that snuggly fits into the mouth of the jar. This is best made from the plastic from a transparent lemonade bottle. The cone should have an opening of about 25mm at the small end and the large end should be slightly larger than the neck of the jar. Once a suitable shape has been cut the seam can be sewn up with thread to form the cone. To assist with sewing it is best to first melt holes in the plastic with a hot needle. Further holes should also be pierced around the top edge of the cone as this will help air to escape from the jar when it is first submerged. This ensures that the trap sinks to the bottom of the stream and lays flat on the bed. Once the cone is completed it is inserted into the neck of the jar and the lid is screwed on to hold it in place.

A length of string can be tied around the neck of the jar and the other end attached to a pointed stick. When setting the trap this can be inserted into the bank of the stream so that the trap can easily be retrieved for inspection. Insert some goldfish flakes into the bottom of the jar to act as a bait and then inspect the trap daily.

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