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Inverted periscope for salmon

5K views 18 replies 10 participants last post by  Bugman 
#1 ·
Evening folks.
I remember seeing pics of this tool before but the memory of where is now lost:confused: Can anyone send me a favorite recipe to construct one or perhaps a few photos? I am looking to build one before this season. Obviously it is not rocket science but what i am looking for are proven methods that have produced good quality scopes.
Thanks and look forward to some insight.
Salmon Chaser
 
#2 ·
Salmon Chaser said:
Evening folks.
I remember seeing pics of this tool before but the memory of where is now lost:confused: Can anyone send me a favorite recipe to construct one or perhaps a few photos? I am looking to build one before this season. Obviously it is not rocket science but what i am looking for are proven methods that have produced good quality scopes.
Thanks and look forward to some insight.
Salmon Chaser
About 6 or 7 years ago, one of my guides on the Bonaventure brought one along. He was able to spot fish with the thing but I couldn't. You could try contacting the outfitter on the Bonaventure (I believe there is only one and you know who it is) to see if he has any leads. Also, I recall my guide talking about it on the Miramichi sometime back in the 1980's. I could be wrong, but I have feeling that the well-known fly shop in Doaktown might have sold them at one time; it might be worth contacting them to see if they know anything about it. Like you, I recall seeing a picture or diagram in a book or magazine but I can't remember where. Personally, my conclusion after trying it out is that it's just a gimmick and a waste of time. Also, it smacks of using a fish finder, something that is philosophically not fly fishing to me.

Since I believe mentioning commercial enterprises is not allowed in this forum, I have deliberately avoided naming names.
 
#3 ·
When I have a moment, I'll take a pic of mine and give you some dimensions. There's a sport shop in the village of Bonaventure that sells them. And they call them "look-a-dos" (guides call them periscopes).

They really only work on rivers as clear as the Bonnie and Petite. I've tried using mine on a pretty clear river in New Brunswick . . . doesn't work.
 
#4 ·
Look a tout

It's actually a "Look a tout" ; the name is something of a joke, if I'm not mistaken.

Someone told me that the commercial ones are all made by one old fellow in his workshop. I have seen them for sale at the Intersport store in Bonaventure, and in Sextons on the Cascapedia.

They are not useful in very many rivers, but they are certainly NOT a gimmick in very clear rivers.

cheers,
Ian.
 
#6 ·
Well lads,, thank you very much for the insight. Looking forward to seeing the pics of this rig again and hopefully from that I can complie a materials list and get at it.
Thanks also for the heads up on the shop that carries them,, if i don't get one built i will surely stop in and grab one this summer.
Salmon Chaser
 
#8 ·
Bill, i greatly appreciate you taking the time to post this. My minds eye had this pretty much down but the pic and diagram just enforced it. Off to get supplies.
Thanks again.
Dwayne
aka Salmon Chaser
 
#9 ·
Ahh the magic/evil box.

I have seen abundant use of this box on the Bonaventure. I have seen guys get to the edge of a pool, scan the pool for fish, Either spot them and wait to fish behind someone else OR see nothing and move on. I once asked them to wait until I had passed the most productive looking water and when I was through they could do as they liked but No way was I going to let them get into the water and scan the area that I was about to fish. I prefer surprises anyway.

I once had an experience with a low water condition in a pool on another river where you did not need to use the device to see the targets. My partner had already caught and released a fish and I had risen a couple that morning in a particular pool. We rested the group of fish for a couple hours and went to another pool. When we returned, we saw a person using the box in this location. We could not understand why you would need to do this at all. there were around 15 fish there, and we knew one or more of them was a taker.

Anyway, per the plan, I attempted to locate a taking fish from this group. Well not one of these fish would move an inch. They were all stuck to the bottom like stones. They were tightly grouped together and simply hugged the bottom and would not move or rise to anything. Since that day, I am convinced that the use of the box had spooked these fish. The reflecting light or the person actually in the water spooked these fish. These had been active and willing participants just two hours earlier with no significant change in weather or barometric pressure.

My belief is that using one of these can spook fish. I do not own one. I do not want to own one. I am more inclined to do the work and cover the pool and find the fish by fishing. When I am lucky enough to find myself on a pool alone, I simply am going to cover the pool. If I used a box to confirm that were were no fish in the pool and moved on to the next pool up the beat and found the same thing, and so on and so on, I would eventually have to find the pool that was holding the fish. I would know the pool without the use of the box, there would be obvious signs there to tell me where the fish were.........

People would be fishing! :smokin:
 
#10 ·
Dwayne
I totally agree with GG .These'll spook the fish. However if ya do "need' one, forget the other big unweldy crap and try this
Take some extruded drain pipe and make a wooden form /template for the bottom and top as per the 2 pic's. cut the drain pipe to length, heat up the drain pipe at one end and let it take the shape of the template. do same for the udder end . put in mirror plastic facing and seal with Goop. Goes in back of vest and is VERY transportable
Cheers
 

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#11 ·
Lads,, i assure you,, my intentions are honorable:)
I can see what each of you have posted as great information and believe me,, i have no intention of scrambling into a pool to scare the hell out of whatever is in there. My whole reasoning behind wanting one is to simply watch the fish in their natural environment The pools on my home rivers are quite intimate and it is quite easy to see them if they are there. This is just another personal way for me to connect with Salar,, NOT to get the drop on him.
Thanks to all for some great info and insights.
As always,, i appreciate your help.
Salmon Chaser
 
#12 ·
Salmon Chaser,

A word of warning about those things, they can be dangerous. I can remember my friend Tony using one of these on the St. John in Gaspe. It was a hot day and he had caught a fish earlier. We were relaxing and celebrating on the bank with a few beers. He took the thing out into the river and was utterly fascinated by it. He would look at the salmon drink some more beer, look at the salmon then drink some more beer, look at the salmon then drink some more beer, constantly bent over the silly thing. Finally I suggested we do some more fishing. He straitened up and walked back up on the bank, got dizzy and barfed his guts out.

Charlie
 
#13 ·
Funny story Charlie:hihi: You and your guide must have had a great time ribbing your buddy.
Part of your post though sums up quite wll why i want to build one. I am quite sure it will be the fascination of watching them!
Salmon Chaser
 
#14 ·
:eek:
My only experience with one of these units was on the St. Jean. We had been fishing through our run and had no luck. Our guide, who has the best fish-spotting ability I have ever been around dug one out of his pack and took a look into the water. There were a group of about a dozen fish in a pocket between four or five large boulders that none of us had seen before. I went above and fished down through the run again and managed to catch my first Atlantic Salmon. I am sure you will have fun with this.
 
#15 ·
Dwayne ... Charlie and Tony would not have needed a guide to lay a superb coverage on any pool on the three great Gaspe-town rivers. However, it must have been VERY hot (or lots of Canadian beer) for Tony to have lost his load. :razz:

Too many hot dogs/martinis on the night before??? :confused:

Fun story! Here's another ... more about infirmity than periscopes ...

We were fishing the St. Jean on the day after I'd had a bad back flare up. The night before, I'd taken an emergency dosage of a prescription anti-inflammatory drug ... on an empty stomach. I'd burned a few feet of my digestive tract and was definitely ... loose ... when I hit the water in the early morning. :eek:


Between frequent sessions on a conveniently situated crapper, I was taking short passes on a renowned pool on the St. Jean. Of course, I hooked a fish ... nice salmon ... totally silver.

The ***** fish took me right out of the pool! We had to cross the river to stay with it. I've never had a tougher 'butt clinch' in my life. My guts were churning, but ... we landed the fish in the next pool down. While I was somewhat exhilarated by the capture, I was becoming severely distracted by an urgent biological need. I managed to cross back over the river without spoiling my pantaloons, then raced to the sanctuary of the throne. Most of the rest of the morning was spent watching Axel fish the bottom of the pool from this vantage point.

One of the more exciting fish adventures of my career ...

Jim
 
#16 ·
Jim,, that is a great story:hihi: :hihi:
I could picture the whole fight as i have been close to the same predicament as you,, both with bowel and bladder:eek:
Thanks for sharing gents,, you have turned this into a pretty good thread;)
Salmon Chaser
 
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