I promised to show the results today. I am far from able to make a fishing line. I have learned that it takes infinite patience and a lot of time to make stinging nettle cordage, but when done it is remarkably strong.
I found a long and narrow cardboard box in the garage and drove a nail in it to anchor the fibers go be twisted.
So here we go, Twist both strands of fibers clockwise, and soon an eye appears in the center, Hook that eye over the nail and keep twisting both strands clockwise and they begin to twist around each other. Voila, suddenly you are twining.
And here is the result. A crude but incredibly strong piece of nettle string.
I did'nt spend all day messing around with nettles. I wanted to visit my friend Thor Hanson, the noted naturalist who just published his latest book "BUZZ". Thor and his wife and son live on rural acreage on San Juan Island. I wanted to see the fabled "raccoon shack" where he writes his wonderful natural history books. "Seeds", "Feathers", and now "Buzz", an incredible treatise about bees. He generously mentions my work with the Orchard Mason bee in his book. I found he and his son Noah at the Raccoon Shack surrounded with laden apple trees and Noah's chicken friends. It was a really fun visit.
Noah, Thor and Hen
The Raccoon shack in the back ground
