How to make a fisherman's wall hanging

Spring is coming....Yes it is a little ways off, but still, it is coming, and I am looking forward to it.
Today in celebration of spring, (albeit, a little early), let's make something that will help take our mind off the current cold snap.   Let's make a fun little sign.  It is easy and fun to do and if you have some kids you might be able to enlist them to paint the little fishies
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Materials and Equipment:

Scrap wood ( I used some 1/2" pine for the fish and a small piece of 1/8" paneling for the reel)

small branch or dowel for the fishing rod

wire or string for the fishing line

small eye hooks 4 or 5

1/4 or 3/8" small piece of dowel  (only need about 1")

Proxxon mini bandsaw

Proxxon OZI/E delta sander

Proxxon mini drill press  (optional) or small drill

Plaid paints: sap green, green forest, true blue, spring white, cardinal red, and black.

Plaid's glitterific paints purple and gold.

To get started I just drew some simple fish on my pieces of wood.  I drew out 3 of them then went to my Proxxon mini bandsaw to cut them out.  I used the really narrow bandsaw blade they have out now as it cuts curves as easy as any scroll saw.

When they are done I sand them using the Proxxon OZI/E delta sander.    I take time to round all the edges so my fish is not flat.  Also,

I used the edge of the sander to make fin-like indentations on the tail.  I think that came out really neat.

Note the rounded edges on the left fish.

I used the Proxxon mini drill press to put holes near their mouths where the hooks will go.

Painting was easy using Plaid's wonderful assortment of colors.  I dipped into my different greens and blues to paint the fish.  I let the colors mingle a little.

  After they dried I  wrote my messages on the fish  "Wishin I was Fishin", let that dry, then added Plaid's glitterific paint.  Wow!, that stuff sparkles just like a wet fish.

To make the fishing pole, I took a piece of an old branch that I had stripped the bark from and added eye screws 4 to 6 inches apart (like a fishing pole).  To make the reel I cut 3 circles, 2  from the thin  1/8" wood and one slightly smaller in diameter for the middle out of the 1/2 inch wood.  (Like a sandwich cookie)   The outermost layer of the "cookie" needs an offset hole where the handle (small piece of dowel), will be inserted.  

Next, run a screw through the holes into the fishing rod.  Put the small dowel in the offset hole. 

Wind some wire around the reel then thread it up through the eye screws in the pole.  I used some red wire to make hooks to put in the fish's mouths so they would show up. then threaded my fishing line through them.    

All done.   I used a very small picture hanger to hang it on my wall.    I'm sorry the picture just doesn't capture the Plaid paint's glitterific shine.   Wish you could see it.  

Thank you for visiting.   I look forward to seeing all your comments.  As always, I had a lot of fun making this.  With the right tools, (Thank you Proxxon) and the right paint and embellishments, (Thank you Plaid), it is all fun in the workshop.  

Try it, you'll like it.  👀

I look forward to seeing you next time.  Carol