Many years ago, my employer at the time, sent me to a rental property to dig up a water line. He told me where he thought it was and I ended up digging several 3' deep holes and couldn't find it. He stopped to check on my progress and then pulled out two wires bent at 90 degrees with one leg about 5 times longer than the other. He started slowly walking to intersect the pipe when the two wires pulled toward each other. He stopped about 10' from where he told me to dig and said "this is it." I basically told him he was full of it in the most respectfully way I could. Being paid by the hour, I dug and sure enough there it was about 2 1/2' down. He showed me how and I've been witchin' myself ever since. My personal greatest feat was locating about half a dozen geothermal ground loop lines near a proposed foundation location for an addition I was doing. I've never tried a stick but what seems to work best for me is to take a wire coat hanger and and cut it so you end up with two roughly 16" long pieces (cut off the hook and twist). Put a 90 degree bend about 3"-4" from the end and leave the rest straight. Hold the short ends lightly between your index, middle finger and thumb so the longer ends are level and sort of balance straight out in front of you. The lighter they are balanced the more sensitive. Start walking slowly and when the long ends pull together you've found water, well hopefully. They pull together almost like they're magnetized. I usually try to cross the area from several directions just to make sure but I don't recall any conflicting readings.
No one has ever been able to explain why it works but I'm a believer.
