Creating a Fishing Creel using flat cane.

In October, I will be at the West Carleton Art Society's Exhibition and Sale at the Agricultural Hall in the village of Carp, just to the west of Ottawa. The Society has challenged participants to bring an item for display on the theme of fishing. My response is to create and design a fishing creel. Such a creel is used by fly fishermen as they wade into thigh deep water. The creel sits on their hip and is used to store the fish they catch rather than wading back to shore.

The first photo shows how I began the creel construction. I used 5/8" flat cane separated by 3/8" green fillers.

I then used 3/8" cane to weave the sides, using old-fashioned clothes pegs to hold the first two or three rows of the side weavers in place.



I added more of the green coloured cane as a highlight feature half way up the creel sides.







Here the creel body is ready for beginning to finish the border.








My solution for inserting the carrying strap was to incorporate it in the weaving towards the bask of the creel as I wove.

The next stage, which I will work on next week after the Fibrefest Exhibition and Sale, is to create the lid with its fishing hole, attach it to the body, and figure out how to make a secure fastener for it too. The Mark 1 version of the lid was not satisfactory. I wonder how many more will be created before I am satisfied.