Dowsing - what am I missing?

[Aaron Lowe]

When I was 7 I was visiting my grandparents with my mum. Having lots of energy and getting bored of the never ending adult conversations I went to play in the garden.

My mum gave me two metal rods and showed me how to dowse. I went out and using a grid pattern slowly mapped a long line until it finally ended in a drain pipe.

The other day I thought I'd do some dowsing for fun so got some coat hangers and went out to find some water. But it didn't work. I distinctly felt like I was using the wrong metal.

So, which metal or metals should I be using to dowse for water?

Note:
I'm not spiritual dowsing, just regular dowsing. My mum even had an issued set of Moray Council Dowsing Rods at one point and that council isn't one iota spiritual. They still worked and she used them to test for underground cables before authorising construction work.