Fishing Wommera
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Australian fishing wommera, origin unknown. I found the picture in the book "Wurley and Wommera" by Janet Matthews.
Material:
Wood, 34 1/2" x 4" x 3/4"
Dowel, 1/2" x 2"
Resin/Rock Hard Water Putty
Artificial Sinew
Construction:
- Shape the peg end. Starting 11 1/2" from the end, round it down to 1 1/2" wide 6" from the end. Leave it that wide for 2", then taper it to 1" wide at the end.
- Cut out the handle end and shaft. Starting at the wide point by the peg end, taper it down to 3/4" wide 16" from the handle end. Keep it at 3/4" wide until 5" from the handle, then cut out the "spear head" shape.
- Round off the ends.
- Shape the wide sections into an ellipsis and round off the 3/4" section.
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- Drill a 3/8" hole through the board by the peg end. This is for the fishing line.
- Sand everything smooth. Be sure to smooth the edges of the fishing line hole.
- Taper one end of the peg to a point and cut the other end at a 60 degree angle. Glue it onto the peg tab, wrap it with sinew, and cover it with resin/putty.
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To use for fishing, tie one end of the line onto the dart shaft, pass the line through the hole, and tie the other end to a 1/2" x 3" dowel. This keeps the line for going out too far.
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