GB2123304A - Fishing game apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Each player moves a piece around a board according to the number thrown on a dice, The board is divided into a pick-up area in which the players pick up permit cards specifying types of fish, bait cards specifying species of bait and opportunity cards bearing instructions and a fishing area from positions of which fish may be caught. A fishing indicator specifies the bait required for particular fish and a strike indicator and weigh-in indicator can be provided. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION GAME This invention relates to a board game simulating fishing.

The invention provides a game simulating fishing comprising a board, pieces for the players to move around the board, a first selector for selecting a number, sets of cards selected from the following: permit cards each specifying a particular type or types of fish which may be caught, bait cards each specifying one or more species of bait, opportunity cards each containing an instruction or variation of the game to be carried out by the player, a fishing indicator means specifying the bait required for particular fish, the board having two areas around which players progress in accordance with the numbers selected by the selector, the first area being a pick-up area marked with indications instructing the player to acquire cards from the sets of cards, the second area being a fishing area marked with indications of the fish which may be fished in each position, and rules specifying the manner in which a fish may be caught when in the correct position provided the correct bait and permit cards are held and the number and types of fish to be caught to win the game.

Preferably the game includes a fish biting selector and the rules specify that a player in a position to fish operates the fish biting selector to discover which fish is/are biting and cannot fish for a fish which is not so selected. The fish biting selector is preferably a polygonal sectioned rod which carries the names of fish on its sides and can be rolled to make the selection.

In a preferred form the game also includes a strike selector and the rules include that a player in a position to fish should operate the strike detector to determine whether or not a fish is caught. The strike selector may be the same as the first selector, in this case they are comprised by a guy, and the fishing indicator means states which numbers on the guy correspond to particular fish being caught.

In a preferred form the game also includes a weigh-in selector and the rules include that a player who has caught a fish shall operate the weigh-in selector and only if the fish is deemed by that selector to be of a suitable weight can the fish count as caught. The weigh-in selector may be the same as the first selector and the fishing indicator means may specify which numbers correspond to correct weigh-in.

The game may include tackle cards and the rules specify that a player cannot fish without a tackle card and the game include means by which players can acquire and loose a tackle card.

The following are examples of the instructions on the opportunity cards: Pick up one permit card.

Pick up one bait card.

Pick up one bait card and one permit card.

Lose one bait card.

Lose one permit card.

Line in a tangle. Lose two goes.

You have forgotten your float box. Lose two goes.

You have dropped some of your bait. Lose two goes.

Bad Luck! One set of your tackle has been stolen. You may not go fishing unless you have a spare set of tackle.

Disaster! All your sets of tackle have been stolen ! Go gack to the Hotel now. And return your tackle to the 'Tackle Shop'.

You are caught in a thunderstorn and are soaked to the skin. Go to the Hotel now.

Disqualify one of your own fish now! Disqualify any fish from any opponent NOW! Go directly to the 'Tackle Shop'. Do not pick up any cards.

Go directly to the cafe. Do not pick up opportunity card.

Go directly to the first fishing square on the bridge nearest the Hotel, you may fish if you wish.

You find some bait. Pick up a bait card and throw again.

Keep this card. At any stage of the game accuse a player of buying one of the fish he has caught in a shop. He must disqualify one of his own fish.

Keep this card. At any stage of the game accuse a player of having too much tackle. He must return one set to the 'Tackle Shop'.

Keep this card. At any stage of the game take an opponent off a bridge and place hin in the Hotel.

Keep this card. Use this card as any single permit that you need but do not necessarily have.

Keep this card. Use this card to place yourself in the 'Tackle Shop' at any stage of the game. Pick up 'bait' 'permit' and one 'set of tackle'.

Keep this card. You are given a set of tackle for your birthday. Keep in reserve.

Keep this card. Bridge switch! If you have failed to catch a bream, or have not had a bite, use this card to go to first fishing square on next bridge.

Keep this card. Move any opponent to the end of a bridge if his/her bream are biting.

Keep this card. Demand a livebait or a spinner from any player and keep it.

Keep this card. You are allowed one extra 'Strike' after an unsuccessful 'Strike'.

Keep this card and show before rolling dice. On any particular throw the number on the dice is doubled.

Keep this card throughout the game and declare it now. Exclusive Pike permit. This permit is re-usable and is not lost, if you lose your fish.

Keep this card and declare it now. You have won a special pike pass which allows you to fish for pike from any fishing square. Permit and bait still required. Hand in this card when fish is caught outside reeds.

PIKE Keep this card and declare it now. Well Done! You have caught a Pike.

TENCH Keep this card and declare it now. Congratulations! You have caught a Trench.

BREAM Keep this card and declare it now. Nice one! You have caught a Bream.

The permit cards each have one fish name on them - in this example carp, tench, roach, bream or pike.

The bait cards each have one bait on them - in this example bread, potatop, worms, maggots or live bait.

The cards are placed in appropriate piles face downwards where the players can reach them.

The fishing indicator means preferably comprises a card for each player containing information for example as set out below: FISH BAITREQUIRED STRIKE WEIGH IN Carp Bread AND Potato 1 456 6 Tench Worms or Maggots 1 2 56 6 Roach Maggots or Bread 1234 6 Bream Worms or Maggots or Bread 3456 6 Pike Livebait or Spinners 126 16 The fish biting selector in this example is a 'Match' rod which is hexagonal sectioned with the names of the five fish printed on its six sides. Each fish appears twice on the rod. An embodiment of board suitable for playing the game is shown in the accompanying drawing. This board is divided into two areas a pick-up area and a fishing area. The pick-area comprises a grid of three rows below the fishing area which is represented as a lake.The pick-up area contains squares marked B for bait or marked in one colour for example green, squares marked P for permit or marked a colour for example blue and squares marked 0 for opportunity or marked a colour for example red. The player travels along these rows with the direction of travel indicated by arrows at the right hand end of each row. He collects bait, permit and opportunity cards depending on which square is reached after each throw. A player needs to accumulate bait and permit cards in preparation for going fishing.

In the pick-up area the player may change direction using the arrowed squares as follows. Some squares are marked with two black arrows and are on the small paths between rows which enable the player to change from one row to another. They can be used for saving time and also tactically. However a player may only use a black arrowed square to change direction if he starts his go from that square. A player starting his go from a black arrowed square throws the dice and then decides in which direction it would be best to travel, the options being shown by the arrows.

Some squares are marked with shaded arrows which also allow changes of direction but the player does not have to start a go from a shaded arrowed square to make the change of direction. He simply has to pass through that square in any direction that the arrows indicate. If his go is started on a shaded arrow square he may choose which way to travel. However the player may not approach a shaded arrow square and use it to return the way he was coming.

Similar rules apply to the shaded arrowed squares in the fishing area and in the passages between the pick-up area and the fishing area.

The fishing area represents a lake with some bridges across it. The bridges may be indicated by pictures or in the example shown by the writing "bream fishing only" beside them. Some squares are maked with an F for fishing or alternatively they may be coloured for example yellow. Fishing is permitted only from these special squares. Some squares indicated that pike only may be caught from these squares. This may be indicated by for example reeds beside the squares or as on the illustrated board by the writing "pike" and an indication of reeds. Bream and only bream can be caught from fishing squares on the bridges. Carp, roach and tench may be caught from any other fishing squares. A shaded arrow square constitutes the start or finish of each bridge.

The game includes four different coloured boots which comprise pieces for the players to move around the board.

The game is for two to four players. The winner of the game is the first to reach the cafe with a complete set of tackle and four different fish (one pike and three different ones from carp, roach, tench or bream).

The rules are as follows Starting equipment Before play each player is issued with equipment as follows: One boot to represent the player on the board.

One tackle card.

One fishing indicator card, alternatively called a players card.

The bait cards are shuffled and three are dealt face down to each player and the remainder of the pack is placed face down in position on the board.

Three permit cards are dealt to each player following the same procedure as the bait cards.

The opportunity cards are shuffled and placed face down in position on the board but none are dealt to the plavers in advance of play.

Startofplay. Players start at the hotel and the boots representing them should be placed there. The players may decide between them who shall start (this carries no particular advantage) and play them proceeds clockwise round the players. In order to leave the hotel an even number must be thrown; if an odd number is thrown the player must wait till next turn. When a six is thrown the player is allowed an extra throw immediately afterwards. On leaving the hotel the players travel the number of square indicated by the dice into the pick-up area.

The pick-up area. The player stays in the pick-up area and gathers bait, permit and opportunity cards as described above. As players collect cards while going round the pick-up area, they should try to match up bait and permit cards in accordance with their players card. For example, for each separate attempt at a roach, a player needs a roach permit and either a maggots or bread bait card. Only in the case of carp are two (bread and potato) bait cards required. The necessary cards for each fish should be kept in separate sets but should not be shown to the other players at this stage.

If a player considers he has a surplus of any particular bait or permit card, he may, forfeiting his throw, discard one of his cards to bottom of the respective pack and replace it with one from the top of that pack.

Deciding to go fishing. A player decides to go fishing when he thinks that he has sufficient matching sets of bait and permit cards. He may leave the pick-up area by any one of the paths that lead to the lake. (Players may enter and leave the paths as they wish and may return to the pick-up area to collect more bait and permit cards if they have lost some fish or to try to land on some opportunity squares).

Travel around the lake is in a clockwise direction and the bridges may be crossed only in the direction indicated by the shaded arrowed squares. Fishing is permitted only from the yelllowfishing squares and certain fish may be caught only in special areas as indicated above.

Going fishing When a player lands on a fishing square he may, if he has a set of tackle the correct bait and permit cards, declare "I am going fishing" and name the fish that he is attempting to catch. For instance, if he is on a bridge and is attempting to catch bream he must declare his intentions and then determine whether bream are biting. To do this he must roll the fishing selector i.e. the match rod on the table. The names of each of the five fish in the lake appear twice on this match rod. If the name of the players declared fish appears face up then the fish is biting and the player may attempt to catch it on his next go. Meanwhile he displays the necessary bait and permit cards in front of him so that opponents may see that he has the correct cards and he himself may be reminded that he is trying to catch the fish next go.If the fish is not biting, then the player continues round the lake next go.

Striking This is the second stage of catching a fish and follows at the players next turn after it is established that the fish are biting. By checking the third column of the players card the player can see the choice of numbers to be thrown to catch a fish. If he throws correctly, he can then proceed immediately to the weigh-in.

Weigh-in Reference to the players card shows that for a successful weigh-in a six must not be thrown (or in the case of pike, six or one) since the fish will them be deemed too small and lost.

When a fish is lost by throwing a loosing number at either the strike or weigh-in stages, both the bait and permit cards involved must be returned to the bottom of their respective packs.

When a fish is caught by successful completion of the two stages, the bait card is returned to the bottom of the pack and the player displays the fish (permit card) next to his tackle card for all in the game to see.

Spare fish Since fish that have caught can be disqualified by certain cards in the opportunity pack, a player may catch and keep a maximum of five fish, although only four different ones are needed to win. A player may try to catch a spare fish at any stage of his game.

Opportunity cards These cards produce the changes of fortune inherent in the sport of angling. When a player lands on an opportunity square he picks up an opportunity card from the top of the pack and reads it to himself. Some cards are played at once in which case the player anounces what the card says and makes the appropriate move. Other cards which say "Keep this card" should be kept unrevealed until what the holder judges to be an opportune moment. All these "Kept" opportunity cards must be played on a players own go before throwing the dice. All cards when played should be returned to the bottom of the pack.

Should a player land on an opportunity square after throwing a six, he chooses between picking up an opportunity card or having an extra throw. A similar choice has to be made when landing on a fishing square, after throwing a six.

It is very helpful for players unfamiliar with the game to go through the opportunity cards before play starts to make sure that everyone understands clearly what they mean.

The Tackle Shop A player may when he wishes make a detour to the tackle shop to collect a spare set of tackle (tackle can be lost in play) together with a bait card and a permit card. The exact number does not have to be thrown to enter the tackle shop but an even number has to be thrown to leave it. If a player enters the tackle shop having thrown a six, he does not get an exra throw.

The Cafe When a player has caught all the fish needed to win, he must arrive at the cafe with those fish and at lest one set of tackle in order to be declared the winner. However, the player may detour to the cafe at any stage of the game to pick up an opportunity card when he arrives there. He does not pick up an opportunity card when entering the cafe to win the game. The Cafe has the same rules as the tackle shop on entry and exit. Should a player who is not yet ready to win, enter the cafe with a purpose of picking up an opportunity card, pick up a card that enables him to win then he does indeed win.

Shorter Game A shorter game may be played as follows: Each player starts the game with six bait cards, six permit cards and a tackle card.

Players only have to catch any three different fish to win. Players do not have to "weigh-in" their fish.

All other rules stay the same.

Claims (15)

1. A game simulating fishing comprising a board, pieces for the players to move around the board, a first selector for selecting a number, sets of cards selected from the following: permit cards each specifying a particular type or types of fish which may be caught, bait cards each specifying one or more species of bait, opportunity cards each containing an instruction orvariation of the game to be carried out by the player, a fishing indicator means specifying the bait required for particular fish, the board having a marked area around which players progress in accordance with the numbers selected by the selector, parts of the area being marked with indications instructing the player to acquire cards from the sets of cards, and parts of the area being marked with indications of the fish which may be fished in particular positions, and rules specifying the manner in which a fish may be caught when in the correct position provided the correct bait and permit cards are held and the number and types of fish to be caught to win the game.

2. A game according to Claim 1 in which the marked area is divided into a pick-up area marked with the indications to acquire cards and a fishing area marked with indications of the fish which may be caught from particular positions and joining parts between the two.

3. A game according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 including a fish biting selector and in which the rules specify that a player in a position to fish operates the fish biting selector to discover which fish islare biting and cannot fish for a fish which is not so selected.

4. A game according to Claim 3 in which the fish biting selector is a polygonal sectioned rod which carries names of fish on its sides and may be rolled to select the fish.

5. A game according to Claim 4 in which the rod is hexagonal sectioned and each fish which may be caught appears on at least two sides.

6. A game according to Claim 3 or any claim dependent thereon in which the rules specify that if the fish is not biting the player continues round the board next turn.

7. A game according to any of Claims 1 to 6 including a "strike" selector and in which the rules include that a player in position to fish should operate the strike detector to determine whether a fish is caught.

8. A game according to Claim 7 in which the strike selector is the first selector and the fishing indicator means states which numbers on the first selector correspond to particular fish being "caught'.

9. A game according to Claim 7 or Claim 8 in which the rules specify that if the fish is not caught on operation of the strike selector the player loses the appropriate bait and permit cards.

10. A game according to any of Claims 1 to 9 including a "weigh-in" selector and in which the rules include that a player who has caught a fish shall operate the weigh-in selector and only if the fish is deemed by that selector of suitable weight can the fish count as caught.

11. A game according to Claim 10 in which the weigh-in selector is the first selector and the fishing indicator means specifies which numbers correspond to correct weigh-in.

12. A game according to any of Claims 1 to 11 including tackle cards and in which the rules specify that a player cannot fish without a tackle card and the game includes means by which players can acquire and lose a tackle card.

13. A game according to any of claims 1 to 12 in which the opportunity cards specify instructions selected from those as described in the specification.

14. A game according to any of claims 1 to 13 in which the marked area ofthe board includes positions at which a player may change direction either next turn or during a turn.

15. A game simulating fishing and comprising a board, cards, pieces for the players to move around the board, a selector means for selecting a number, a fish biting selector, a fishing chart and rules substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing.