Kite Fishing
Kite fishing was done by the Pacific islanders as a way of
catching fish off shore without a boat. Simply, you put up a kite, then after
the kite is up a float like a plastic jug is tied to the kite line that has a
fishing line with a weighted, bated hook on it.
Then when you let string out the kite will pull the jug out across the water.
By pulling in the line and letting the kite line out, you can troll the fishing line.
When a fish takes the bate, you just reel it in. When you reel it in the kite will often lift the fish into the air.
When at anchor I often kite fish. It is easy and when a fish
hits and you reel in the line, the kite often lift the fish way out of the
water so you can see what you caught. If a boat comes by, you can lift your
line by just reeling quickly and the jug and bate lift out of the water so the
boat can pass.
On land you can fish in the middle of a lake or pond this way if you
are on the up wind side of the lake. You will get a lot of attention if you kit fish
and people see you. It is fun, and you can fish in water out farther than
the others that are fishing can cast. 8-) kids love it, and other fisherman think you are crazy till
you bring in a fish.
Dropping Things From Kites is also fun!
If you have a kite that has good lift and can lift light
weights dropping stuff off the kite can be fun. I have a winged box kite that
is great to drop thing off of. One very easy way is to drop empty aluminum soda
and beer cans. They are light so the kite can take them up easily.
Just below the bridal of the kite where you attach the
string, and on the string itself, you tape the can to the string with a little
piece of masking tape. Then you put the kite up. If you whip or snap the string
sharply the tape lets go and the can comes falling down. You can put two or
three cans on the string. 8-) Be sure to drop the cans where they will not
damage anything and collect them when you are done.
You can also make or buy small sail drop mechanisms that let
you send what you will drop up the string, drop the object and the mechanism
slides back down the string so you can drop something else.
You can send a piece of paper up the kite line by just
putting a hole in the center of the paper with the string though it, I put a
hole in the paper then cut a slit in the paper down to the hole. Slip the paper
on the string and then masking tape the cut together. It is an easy way to put
a signal up on a kite.
Kites can be fum for us old kids at heart, so go fly a kite!
