Willow-Leaf Bar-Spoons
Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2023 11:32 am
Editorial from ANGLING, Written by anglers for anglers - February,1977 Price: 35p
Making "Willow-leaf Bar Spoons"
By Dave Steuart
WHEN I WROTE OF CHUB FISHING recently, I stated how simple it was to make willow-leaf bar-spoons.
The only tools necessary are, a pair of long-nose pliers with a cutting edge to chop wire, a pair of metal snips or very strong scissors, a file, a hammer, and a power or hand drill. Materials required are one, two or three thicknesses of wire, (the reason will become obvious late) some beads or plastic tubes, a few sizes of barrel leads, treble hooks, and sheet brass or copper -- any scrap that is of a suitable thickness.
I think the secret of the fast-revolving bar-spoon, is what I call (incorrectly?)* the U-piece. Spoons attached directly to a bar do not spin so fast, and worse, they considerably increase the "kinking" factor of revolving spoons. For convenience I have sketched and named the composite parts of a bar-spoon.
Usually I cut a few blades out first with the snips, file the edges smooth, and drill the holes for the insertion of the U-piece, and then, with the hammer (preferably one with a "ball" end), I tap the blades on a softwood block until they become concave. Next step is to make an equivalent number of U-pieces. There are three ways of making these, and I will start with the method I consider to be the simplest, and which is also the method that needs three different thicknesses of wire. A fine steel wire is for making U-piece, a medium steel wire for making the bar, and a slightly thicker one is used as a "gauge wire". The fine wire is wound around the gauge wire to the shape shown in sketch 1. When the gauge wire is withdrawn, the U-piece will fit loosely on to the thinner wire of the bar.
Another way of making U-pieces is to drill a series of holes in sheet metal, cut strips, and finally the little U-blanks which can be curved to shape as in sketch 2. I find removing the sharp edges of U-pieces made in this manner, both fiddly and tedious. If you make this sort of U-piece you only need the one thickness of wire to make the bar, and can use the same metal sheet that is used to make blades.
A third way of making U-pieces is to fold brass washers around the gauge wire to the shape in sketch 3. Obviously when the gauge wire is withdrawn, the resulting U-piece will revolve freely when placed on the bar.
The next operation is to attach a treble hook to the bar. It can be attached loosely as shown or, if preferred, the bar wire can be taken through the eye of the treble, then between the hook bends, and back through the eye. If then wound for a couple of turns and snipped off, a rigid hook fixing is obtained.
It is then simply a matter of sliding on a body of plastic tube for a light-weight spoon, beads from the wife's pearl necklace for a medium weight flashy body, (the variety of body material is limitless) or for a heavyweight model, some bar-leycorn leads serve well. I always put a bead either side of the U-piece, having first passed it through the hole of the blade, one more bead, and the final operation is to wind the top eye of the bar.
*The U-piece is correctly termed a "cleave", according to Tom Saville of Nottingham, who sells components for bar-spoon construction. Editor.
Making "Willow-leaf Bar Spoons"
By Dave Steuart
WHEN I WROTE OF CHUB FISHING recently, I stated how simple it was to make willow-leaf bar-spoons.
The only tools necessary are, a pair of long-nose pliers with a cutting edge to chop wire, a pair of metal snips or very strong scissors, a file, a hammer, and a power or hand drill. Materials required are one, two or three thicknesses of wire, (the reason will become obvious late) some beads or plastic tubes, a few sizes of barrel leads, treble hooks, and sheet brass or copper -- any scrap that is of a suitable thickness.
I think the secret of the fast-revolving bar-spoon, is what I call (incorrectly?)* the U-piece. Spoons attached directly to a bar do not spin so fast, and worse, they considerably increase the "kinking" factor of revolving spoons. For convenience I have sketched and named the composite parts of a bar-spoon.
Usually I cut a few blades out first with the snips, file the edges smooth, and drill the holes for the insertion of the U-piece, and then, with the hammer (preferably one with a "ball" end), I tap the blades on a softwood block until they become concave. Next step is to make an equivalent number of U-pieces. There are three ways of making these, and I will start with the method I consider to be the simplest, and which is also the method that needs three different thicknesses of wire. A fine steel wire is for making U-piece, a medium steel wire for making the bar, and a slightly thicker one is used as a "gauge wire". The fine wire is wound around the gauge wire to the shape shown in sketch 1. When the gauge wire is withdrawn, the U-piece will fit loosely on to the thinner wire of the bar.
Another way of making U-pieces is to drill a series of holes in sheet metal, cut strips, and finally the little U-blanks which can be curved to shape as in sketch 2. I find removing the sharp edges of U-pieces made in this manner, both fiddly and tedious. If you make this sort of U-piece you only need the one thickness of wire to make the bar, and can use the same metal sheet that is used to make blades.
A third way of making U-pieces is to fold brass washers around the gauge wire to the shape in sketch 3. Obviously when the gauge wire is withdrawn, the resulting U-piece will revolve freely when placed on the bar.
The next operation is to attach a treble hook to the bar. It can be attached loosely as shown or, if preferred, the bar wire can be taken through the eye of the treble, then between the hook bends, and back through the eye. If then wound for a couple of turns and snipped off, a rigid hook fixing is obtained.
It is then simply a matter of sliding on a body of plastic tube for a light-weight spoon, beads from the wife's pearl necklace for a medium weight flashy body, (the variety of body material is limitless) or for a heavyweight model, some bar-leycorn leads serve well. I always put a bead either side of the U-piece, having first passed it through the hole of the blade, one more bead, and the final operation is to wind the top eye of the bar.
*The U-piece is correctly termed a "cleave", according to Tom Saville of Nottingham, who sells components for bar-spoon construction. Editor.