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CASTING  TACKLE 
AND  METHODS 


THE  AUTHOR  RENDERING  FIRST  AID  TO  A 
BADLY  INJURED  ROD 


Casting  Tackle 

AND  METHODS 


By 
O.  W.  SMITH 

Author  of  "Trout  Lore," 
Angling  Editor  "  Outdoor  Life' 


CINCINNATI 

STEWART  &  KIDD  COMPAhTV 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,  1920,  By 

STEWART  &  KIDD  COMPANY 

All  Rights  Reserved 

Copyright  in  England 


S7 


TO 

All  Lovers  of  the  Short  Rod  and  Multi- 
plying Reel,  This  Book  is  Affectionately 

Dedicated. 


ivi816480 


CONTENTS 


PART  I 

CHAPTER 

I. 

The  Bait  Casting  Rod    . 

General  Remarks  . 

Rod   Material 

Number  of  Joints 

Mountings        .... 

II. 

The  Casting  Reel     . 

History 

Mechanism    and    Material 

Aristocratic  Reels 

Free-Spool  Reels  . 

Self-Thumbers       .      •      • 

Freak  Winches     .      •      • 

Attachments     .      •      •      • 

Care  of  the  Reel  .      •     ^ 

III. 

Terminal  Tackle     •     .     • 

IV. 

Casting  Lures       .     .     .     • 

Underwater  Lures      .      • 

V. 

Housing  the  Tackle     .     . 

VI. 

Repair  Kits  and  Methods  . 

PART  II— METHODS 
I.     A  First  Lesson  in  Casting  .... 
II.     Landing  Tools  and  How  to  Use  Them 


PAGE 

3 
3 
8 

20 
28 
36 
36 
39 
44 
50 
55 
67 
71 
74 
82 
91 
111 
118 
127 

145 
156 


vi 

CONTENTS 

III. 

Fishing  a  Wadeable  Stream     .     . 

.     .     172 

IV. 

Fishing  a  River  from  a  Boat    .     . 

.     .     182 

V. 

Shore  Casting 

.     .     194 

VI. 

Casting  After  Dark       .... 

.     .     208 

VII. 

Lake  Casting  from  a  Boat     . 

.     224 

VIII. 

Spoons  and  How  to  Cast  Them     . 

.     234 

IX. 

Trolling  for  Bass 

.     245 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

The  Author  Rendering  First  Aid  to  a  Badly 

Injured  Rod ,      .     Frontispiece 

PAGE 

Aristocratic  Winches 48 

Take-a-Parts — For  the  Most  Part     ....  56 

"Thumbers"  and  Self-Spoolers 64 

Types  of  Lures 96 

Housing  the  Tackle 120 

Some  Tackle  Boxes 124 

Rod  Repairing 128 

Rod  Winding 138 

A  Lesson  in  Casting 146 

Landing  Tools 160 

The  Happy  Shore  Caster 194 

Invading  the  Silent  Places 208 

Pottering  With  Spoons  .••..••,  240 


FOREWORD 

I  am  told  that  very  few  people  read  an  introduc- 
tion, a  matter  which  I  find  it  exceedingly  difficult  to 
believe,  for  often  the  introduction  is  the  best  part  of 
a  book;  that  Is,  when  the  introduction  is  not  an 
apology  for  the  book.  I  make  no  apology  for  send- 
ing out  upon  the  great  sea  of  books  another  volume 
dealing  with  bait  casting  as  practiced  with  short  rod 
and  multiplying  reel.  It  seems  to  me  that  there  is 
room  for  another  work,  not  too  technical  for  the 
tyro,  withal  exact  enough  to  prove  of  Interest  to  the 
old  hand.  It  is  not  enough  for  a  man  to  know  tackle ; 
he  must  also  know  fish;  therefore  I  have  divided  this 
book  into  two  parts :  Part  I  deals  with  tackle,  while 
Part  II  treats  of  methods.  In  both  divisions  I  have 
been  as  careful  and  painstaking  as  possible,  repeat- 
ing myself  again  and  again  for  the  sake  of  clearness. 

In  Part  I,  I  begin  with  a  frank  discussion  of  the 
rod.  Its  material,  construction  and  length,  answering 
the  questions  which  have  so  frequently  been  asked 
through  my  department  in  Outdoor  Life.  Then  I 
take  up  the  modern  bait  casting  reel,  tracing  its  de- 
velopment from  the  old  English  single  action.     All 

vii 


viii  FOREWORD 

the  illustrations  are  from  photographs  of  reels  in 
my  collection,  for  mine  is  not  a  book  knowledge  but 
a  knowledge  gained  from  practical  experience  with 
the  tools  described  in  actual  fishing.  To  make  the 
book  complete  I  discuss  the  care  and  protection  of 
tackle,  as  well  as  repairs.  In  the  matter  of  lures,  my 
purpose  is  not  to  discuss  the  various  lures,  simply 
show  the  tendency  in  construction.  I  have  a  large 
collection  of  "plugs,"  gathered  during  the  last  ten 
years,  all  of  which  I  have  tried  out,  one  by  one,  as 
secured.  I  made  that  statement  some  time  ago  and 
a  critic  remarked,  "He  (the  author)  must  have  been 
a  fairly  busy  man."  But  ten  years  Is  a  long  time  and 
one  can  accomplish  a  good  deal  If  he  only  uses  his 
spare  moments.  Undoubtedly  my  critic  wastes  more 
time  In  a  single  year  than  I  have  used  in  the  study 
and  try-out  of  lures  during  the  past  ten. 

Surely  It  Is  hardly  necessary  for  me  to  pause  here 
and  argue  for  the  legitimacy  of  casting  lures,  though 
with  my  carping  critic  In  mind  I  can  not  resist  the 
temptation  to  devote  a  paragraph  to  the  subject. 
When  "Trout  Lore"  appeared  a  certain  gentleman 
took  Issue  with  me  In  the  matter  of  artificial  lures  for 
trout,  going  further  and  execrating  the  "murderous 
plugs"  for  any  use  whatsoever,  and  using  choice 
Billingsgate  to  describe  the  angler  who  descends  to 
their  employment.  It  would  be  a  pleasure  to  reply 
In  kind,  but  that  would  only  lower  me  to  his  level. 
No,  a  true  sportsman  will  be  a  sportsman  no  matter 


FOREWORD  ix 

what  tackle  Is  employed,  and  the  other  kind  will  be 
the  other  kind  e'en  though  he  use  the  most  approved 
outfit.  Just  as  much  skill  is  required  to  handle  the 
short  rod  and  multiplying  reel  properly  as  is  brought 
into  play  by  the  user  of  the  fly  rod  and  single  action 
winch.  I  can  take  more  bass  with  flies  when  fishing 
a  water  where  the  fuzzy  wuzzy  lures  may  be  em- 
ployed, than  I  can  by  the  use  of  "plugs.''  "Enough 
has  always  been  as  good  as  a  feast",  with  me.  I 
retire  from  lake  or  stream  when  I  have  a  mess  and 
one  or  two  to  give  away.  I  hold  that  sportsmanship 
is  a  finer  thing  than  tackle,  it  is  the  spirit  of  the  rod- 
ster  dominating  his  every  thought  and  act.  Some  of 
the  finest,  cleanest  sportsmen  I  know  are  users  of 
"plugs."     God  bless  them,  every  one. 

In  Part  II,  I  take  up  methods,  and  after  instruct- 
ing briefly  in  the  handling  of  rod  and  reel,  I  take 
the  leader  to  Iiikc  and  stream  and  fish  with  him, 
showing  him,  as  best  I  may,  how,  when  and  where  to 
throw  his  lure.  And  it  is  the  fishing  out  under  the 
blue  sky,  where  the  birds  sing  and  the  water  mur- 
murs, that  makes  angling  the  sport  of  sports.  I 
love  tackle,  talk  and  write  tackle,  but  it  is  the  actual 
fishing  which  enraptures  me.  Better  a  day  on  a  bass 
water  than  two  cycles  of  Cathay.  I  fondly  believe 
that  It  will  be  Part  II  that  will  hold  the  attention  of 
the  reader  longest,  though  he  will  turn  to  the  first 
half  for  information,  and  I  hope  that  he  will  not  be 
disappointed. 


X  FOREWORD 

These  chapters  appeared  in  their  original  form  In 
Outdoor  Life,  though  readers  of  that  magazine  will 
not  recognize  them  in  their  new  dress,  so  changed 
and  elaborated  are  they.  All  have  been  re-written, 
some  changed  entirely  to  meet  modern  discoveries. 
Always  I  have  worked  with  the  needs  of  anglers  In 
mind,  needs  that  have  been  made  manifest  to  me 
through  extended  and  wide  correspondence.  Last 
year  I  answered  questions  from  no  less  than  600  bass 
fans  throughout  the  United  States  and  Canada.  So 
the  reader  can  see  that  while  I  have  compiled  the 
book,  as  it  were.  It  Is  the  many  eager  questioners 
who  have  actually  written  it.  So  It  Is  proper  that  I 
dedicate  it  to  them,  not  forgetting  to  thank  the  Edi- 
tor of  Outdoor  Life  for  the  privilege  of  publication 
In  book  form. 

It  has  taken  more  than  a  year  to  prepare  these 
chapters  and  Illustrations.  Day  by  day  I  have  en- 
tered my  study  before  breakfast,  religiously  prepar- 
ing two  pages  of  manuscript  before  partaking  of 
the  morning  meal,  so  stealing  from  the  day  the  nec- 
essary time  for  the  work.  And  the  work  has  been  a 
great  pleasure.  Were  It  not  for  the  fact  that  I  have 
another  book  in  mind,  which  I  shall  prepare  In  the 
same  manner,  I  would  feel  lost.  I  am  almost  sorry 
the  work  Is  finished,  I  have  enjoyed  It  so  much.  It 
truly  has  been  my  recreation.  I  would  like  to  write 
It  over  once  more,  but  that  may  not  be.  My  dearest 
wish  as  I  send  It  out  Into  the  world  of  angling  liter- 


FOREWORD  xi 

ature  is  that  here  and  there  a  fisherman  may  enjoy 
its  reading  one-half  as  much  as  I  have  its  prepara- 
tion. 

May  Good  Fishing  be  yours  and  the  East  Wind 
never  blow,  is  the  prayerful  wish  of 

THE  AUTHOR 

Evansville,  Wisconsin,  1920. 


PART   I 


CASTING  TACKLE 
AND  METHODS 

CHAPTER  I 
THE  BAIT-CASTING  ROD 

GENERAL  REMARKS 

No  Single  article  of  the  bait-caster's  equipment 
Is  more  earnestly  and  lengthily  discussed  than  the 
rod,  and  perhaps  there  Is  nothing  regarding  which 
there  Is  greater  diversity  of  opinion.  From  the  very 
nature  of  the  subject  this  Is  bound  to  be  true,  there 
are  so  many  materials  employed  In  rod  construction, 
so  many  different  lengths  and  weights,  not  to  men- 
tion the  biases  and  predillctlons  of  Individual  rod- 
sters.  "No  two  anglers  ever  agree,"  Is  a  stock 
phrase. 

Naturally,  the  rod  that  suits — "fits,"  if  you  pre- 
fer— one  man,  may  not  another;  by  the  same  token, 
the  rod  I  find  "best"  upon  one  water  or  for  a  given 
variety  of  fishing,  may  not  do  at  all  under  diverse 
circumstances.  Therefore,  write  this  sentence  at 
the  top  of  the  first  page  of  the  angler's  copy-book, 

3 


4  CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

"There  is  no  single  'best^  rod."  Having  said  that, 
however,  I  hasten  to  add  that  I  have  my  favorite 
rod  and  will  defend  its  merits  and  super-excellencies 
just  as  long  and  as  stoutly  as  any  angler.  As  there 
is  no  unanimity  of  opinion  amid  anglers,  the  man 
seeking  information  finds  himself  "all  at  sea"  when 
it  comes  to  choosing  a  rod.  I  have  letters  on  file 
from  all  over  the  United  States  and  from  several 
foreign  countries,  asking  for  advise  regarding  the 
selection  of  a  rod  for  casting  artificial  lures ;  holding 
those  letters  in  mind,  I  am  going  to  write  for  the  aid 
and  information  of  the  amateur,  discussing  In  plain 
language  the  merits  and  demerits  of  the  various 
styles  and  materials.  I  trust  that  the  chapter  will 
not  prove  tedious. 

There  has  been  considerable  argument  regarding 
the  rise  of  the  short  casting  rod,  and  notwithstanding 
some  assertions  to  the  contrary,  I  am  inclined  to 
agree  with  Mr.  Samuel  G.  Camp's  statement  that 
the  modern  short  casting  rod  had  its  birth  near 
Chicago.  Perhaps  It  had  Its  rise  in  Chicago,  for 
thirty  years  ago  Mr.  J.  M.  Clark,  then  of  the 
"Windy  City,"  now  of  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  had  a 
short  rod  built  for  his  personal  use.  In  answer  to  a 
letter  asking  for  information,  Mr.  Clark  says: 

"The  first  conception  of  the  Short  Bait  Casting  rod 
was  made  for  me  in  1885  by  Fred  D.  Divine,  now  the 
Fred  D.  Divine  Company,  of  Utica,  New  York.  The 
rod  was  made  out  of  lancewood,  6  feet,  3  inches  long. 


THE  BAIT-CASTING  ROD  5 

The  rod  was  a  revelation  in  those  days,  as  the  usual 
lengths  of  rods  was  10^  feet.  I  fought  the  point  and 
won  out.    To-day  my  banner  rod  is  5  feet,  6  inches." 

At  any  rate,  the  short  rod  is  a  product  of  the 
West,  and  through  sheer  merit  alone  is  making  head 
even  in  the  East.  However,  it  is  not  uncommon  to 
read  articles  even  to-day  urging  the  6  foot,  6  inch 
caster.  Such  a  rod  is  not,  and  from  the  very  nature 
of  the  case,  can  not  be  a  good  caster  of  heavy 
*'plugs.'*  The  short  rod  was  born  of  necessity,  not, 
as  has  been  asserted,  because  of  peculiar  fishing 
conditions  in  the  Middle  West,  but  because  It  is  the 
logical,  natural  tool  for  handling  modern  lures.  As 
It  Is  the  "natural  tool"  it  is  bound  to  make  head 
wherever  familiar  fish  are  to  be  won  with  a  cast 
lure.  However,  we  must  not  forget  to  mention  Mr. 
James  A.  Henshall,  "the  father  of  the  black  bass," 
for  to  him  we  owe  the  modern  rod,  though  so  far 
as  I  know,  he  nowhere  recommends  the  short  caster; 
the  "Henshall  pattern"  is  a  rod  Sj4  feet  long,  and 
therefore  is  not  adapted  to  handling  lures  with  the 
overhead  cast.  As  evolved  by  the  Doctor,  the  tool 
was  Intended  for  casting  live  bait  and  will  be  treated 
in  another  volume  dealing  with  that  branch  of  ang- 
ling. I  mention  HenshalPs  rod  here  because  it  was 
the  first  real  "casting  rod,"  the  fore-runner  of  all 
modern  casters. 

As  I  have  already  said  or  intimated,  the  short  rod 
is  the  best  and  coming  tool.    I  was  one  of  the  last  of 


6  CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

Middle  Western  anglers  to  take  up  the  short  rod. 
I  well  remember  how  the  brotherhood  of  bass  fans 
jumped  on  me  for  advocating  the  6-foot-6-inch  cas- 
ter, that,  when  perhaps  nine  out  of  ten  were  using 
something  less  than  a  5-foot  tool.  I  would  not  give 
up.  I  could  not  be  convinced.  I  was  sure  that  the 
short  rod  could  have  but  little  if  any  action.  I  as- 
serted over  and  over  again  that  the  function  of  the 
rod  was  to  play  the  fish,  not  to  serve  as  a  reel  holder 
simply.  But  in  spite  of  my  prejudices  I  became  con- 
vinced. Gradually,  almost  inch  by  inch,  I  cut  off  the 
tip  of  my  favorite  rod,  metaphorically  speaking, 
until  to-day  my  favorite  tool  measures  exactly  5  feet. 
Perhaps  I  shall  cut  away  6  inches  more,  though  I 
much  doubt  it.  Hereby  I  recommend  the  5  foot 
rod  for  all  lure  casting.  (Parenthetically:  later  on 
we  will  find  a  use  for  that  "6  foot,  6  inch"  rod.) 
I  would  not  have  the  reader  for  a  moment  think  that 
I  have  come  to  the  use  of  the  5  foot  rod  without 
much  thought  and  experimentation.  Grudgingly, 
almost  reluctantly,  I  have  given  up  my  preconceived 
notions  one  by  one,  compelled  to  do  so  by  actual 
experiments  and  fishing  experiences.  I  write  not  as 
a  study-angler:  lake  and  stream  have  been  my  lab- 
oratory. My  tackle  cabinet  contains  rods  of  many 
lengths,  of  various  materials,  from  many  workshops; 
one  by  one  I  have  tried  them  out,  experimented  with 
them  upon  bass,  pike  and  muskellunge,  and  to-day 
I  am  ready  to  give  you  the  results. 


THE  BAIT-CASTING  ROD  7 

I  have  said  that  the  5  foot  rod  possesses 
"action,"  that  resihency  which  marks  the  difference 
between  a  "rod"  and  a  "stick."  Somewhere  I  once 
read  some  such  statement  as  this:  "I  had  just  as 
soon  go  fishing  with  my  reel  attached  to  an  umbrella 
handle  as  to  use  one  of  the  modern  short  sticks 
erroneously  dubbed  a  rod."  Manifestly  the  writer 
was  so  prejudiced  that  he  could  not  be  convinced,  or 
had  never  handled  a  well-made  casting  rod.  In  my 
cabinet  I  have  a  number  of  rods  5  feet  long,  any  one 
of  which  will  respond  quickly  to  the  wish  of  the 
angler  or  surge  of  the  fish.  The  uninitiated  would 
be  surprised  to  witness  the  action  of  these  rods  when 
engaged  with  a  fighting  bass  or  obstreperous  pike. 
Their  resiliency,  quickness,  responsiveness — to  bor- 
row a  word,  "humanness,"  Is  almost  passing  belief. 
You  must  have  action  as  well  as  backbone  in  order 
to  cast  a  lure  effectively  and  effectually.  You  cannot 
cast  well  with  an  umbrella-handle  I 

I  grant  all  that  has  been  said  regarding  the  neces- 
sity for  action  when  landing  a  fish — I  have  said  con- 
siderable myself — but  I  here  assert  that  action  Is  as 
essential  in  casting.  A  rod  should  not  be  weak  and 
flabby,  that  goes  without  saying,  it  must  be  able  to 
stand  on  Its  own  dignity:  but  just  the  same,  it  must 
possess  some  of  that  whip-like  quality  in  order  to 
shoot  and  control  the  lure.  A  rod  over  ^j4  feet 
long  loses  in  backbone  and  control  In  exact  ratio  as 
It  gains  in  whippiness.    Whippiness  is  not  action,  the 


8         CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

two  must  never  be  confused.  The  tyro,  the  would-be 
caster,  from  very  necessity  must  take  much  upon 
faith,  and  when  a  man  Hke  the  writer  urges  a  short 
rod,  admits  that  only  after  long  experimentation 
came  to  the  use  of  it  himself,  after  prejudice  had 
been  knocked  out  by  experience,  the  tyro  surely  will 
believe  him.  Therefore  and  consequentially,  once 
again  the  5  foot,  and  5  Yi  foot  rod  is  hereby  recom- 
mended. Do  not  go  over  the  5  Yi  rod  for  handling 
artificial  lures.  For  ordinary  live  bait  casting  I  use 
the  same  rod,  though  for  still  fishing  and  certain 
varieties  of  live  bait  casting  I  use  one  somewhat 
longer;  but  more  of  this  matter  later,  when  we  shall 
devote  a  whole  chapter  to  the  subject. 

ROD  MATERIAL 

The  man  unacquainted  with  the  subject  little 
realizes  what  a  vast  field  opens  for  discussion  when 
we  take  up  the  question  of  rod  material.  I  might 
dismiss  the  matter  with  but  a  word  or  two,  as  do  so 
many  angling  writers,  giving  my  first,  second  and 
third  choice,  say,  with  reasons  therefor;  but  that 
would  hardly  satisfy  the  tyro  or  the  eager  angler, 
the  one  who  wishes  to  know  If  a  certain  wood  has 
been  tried  out  by  rod  builders,  and  with  what  success. 

Naturally  It  will  be  impossible  for  the  writer  to 
treat  the  subject  exhaustively  In  the  brief  compass  of 
this  chapter,  but  he  will  at  least  give  the  reader  the 
result  of  his  personal  experiments.     However,  let 


THE  BAIT-CASTING  ROD  9 

me  say,  the  average  amateur,  the  one  for  whom  this 
chapter  is  especially  written,  probably  cannot  afford 
to  experiment  with  various  woods;  he  wants  a  rod, 
then  let  him  purchase  in  the  light  of  the  information 
which  others'  experience  has  acquired.  iVgain  I 
must  pause  to  say,  let  the  angler  buy  the  very  best 
rod  he  can  afford.  Better  far  purchase  one  good 
rod  than  two  cheap  ones,  though  it  is  of  utmost 
importance  to  carry  two  rods  if  going  on  a  long  or 
hard  trip  where  one  might  be  broken.  The  whole 
world  is  being  ransacked  these  days  for  rod  material, 
little  known  as  well  as  familiar  woods  are  being 
employed  by  curious  and  ambitious  amateur  work- 
men, until  It  is  almost  impossible  to  mention  a  wood 
that  some  one  has  not  tried  out.  Not  all  of  these 
Avoods  deserve  mention,  because  not  of  sufficient 
Importance.  We  will  confine  our  discussion,  with 
one  or  two  exceptions,  to  the  materials  most  fre- 
quently used,  mentioning  them  in  the  order  of  their 
importance. 

Without  fear  of  successful  contradiction  I  give 
split-bamboo  first  place.  There  Is  no  known  wood 
equal  to  well  selected  and  cured  bamboo.  I  have 
handled  many  rods  of  various  materials,  good  rods, 
too,  but  it  must  be  said  that  the  well  made  split- 
bamboo  possesses  a  fine  action,  quick  responsiveness, 
and  casting  power  unequalled  by  any  other  material. 
Note,  I  said  "well  rhade,"  for  a  cheaply  made  split- 
bamboo  is  a  delusion  and  a  snare,  a  poor  proposition. 


lo        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

There  Is  a  difference,  however,  between  a  cheap  and 
a  cheaply-made  rod.  You  can  secure  a  dependable, 
fine  actioned  caster  In  split-bamboo  for  the  reason- 
able sum  of  $5.00.  I  know  a  $3.00  rod  that  has 
rendered  efficient  service  for  several  years,  standing 
up  under  the  hardest  strain  to  which  a  rod  can  be 
subjected,  black-bass  casting,  and  yet  it  is  apparently 
good  for  many  more  years.  Of  course  the  rod  has 
received  care,  the  secret  of  any  rod's  lastlbillty.  Do 
not  imagine  that  because  your  rod  is  not  an  expensive 
one  you  can  afford  to  neglect  It;  the  low-priced  rod 
requires  greater  care  than  does  the  high  grade  tool, 
though  often  because  it  cost  little  money,  receives 
none. 

While  a  serviceable  caster  can  be  purchased  for 
$3.00,  I  urge  the  selection  of  one  costing  $5.00  or 
$6.00;  it  will  prove  enough  better;  while,  for  the 
man  who  can  afford  it,  there  is  the  tool  costing  from 
$15.00  up,  and  up.  However,  for  $15.00  you  can 
get  a  split-bamboo  beautiful  enough,  good  enough, 
serviceable  enough,  capable  enough  for  the  most 
expert  caster  and  exacting  nimrod. 

The  split-bamboo  Is  built  In  hexagonal  and 
octagonal  shape,  from  six  and  eight  strips  of  wood. 
I  lean  toward  the  six-sided  rod,  less  joints  for  the 
water  to  seek  out,  though  undoubtedly  the  eight- 
sided  rod.  If  carefully  made,  furnishes  the  more  per- 
fect action.  Some  anglers  Incline  to  the  belief  that 
the  solid  wood  rod  will  stand  more  rough  usage  than 


THE  BAIT-CASTING  ROD  li 

the  split-bamboo.  I  do  not  agree  with  them.  I  have 
yet  to  break  my  first  split-bamboo  caster,  and  I  pos- 
sess them  in  various  grades,  ranging  from  $3.00  up 
to  $25.00.  Ounce  for  ounce  and  caliber  for  caliber, 
I  regard  the  split-bamboo  away  ahead  of  any  solid* 
wood  rod  which  I  have  ever  been  permitted  to  use. 
Much  more  might  be  said  regarding  this  premier 
material,  but  there  are  several  other  materials  to 
mention  and  space  will  be  at  a  premium  before  this 
chapter  is  completed. 

I  am  going  to  give  the  steel  rod  second  place,  for 
I  regard  steel,  in  bait  casting  rods  at  least,  as  second 
only  to  split-bamboo.  I  am  well  aware  that  many 
rodsters  will  not  agree  with  me,  but  with  the  needs 
of  the  amateur  in  mind,  the  steel  rod  must  be  given 
what  I  regard  as  its  rightful  place.  Few  anglers 
realize  what  wonderful  strides  have  been  made  in 
the  manufacture  of  steel  rods  during  the  last  few 
years.  While  not  possessed  of  the  perfect  action  of 
the  high-grade  split-bamboo,  and  somewhat  heavier 
than  the  solid  wood,  the  high  grade  steel — and  there 
are  any  number  of  cheap  grades  in  all  conscience — 
for  rough  and  ready  work  is  hard  to  beat.  Do  not 
by  any  means  take  me  to  mean  that  the  rod  Is  de- 
signed only  for  rough  work;  it  is  nice  enough  for 
any  one,  gotten  up  in  an  expensive  manner  if  you 
care  to  pay  the  price.  Take  as  an  illustration  that 
Bristol  de  Luxe,  wound  with  silk,  mounted  with 
agate  guides  set  In  German  silver.     The  rod  is  a 


12       CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

beauty,  resilient,  yet  possessed  of  sufficient  back-bone, 
and  light  enough  for  comfortable  casting.  Though 
not  the  most  expensive — it  sells  at  $25.00 — it  is  one 
of  the  most  striking  rods  in  my  battery. 

I  possess  another  steel  caster  for  which  I  paid,  I 
think,  $15.00,  and  when  I  say  that  it  is  a  good  rod 
in  every  sense  of  the  word,  I  mean  just  that.  The 
man  who  speaks  contemptuously  of  the  ''steel  pole," 
is  hardly  fair,  probably  unacquainted  with  a  truly 
high  grade  steel  caster.  I  realize  just  what  it-means 
to  go  on  record  as  defending  the  steel  rod,  but  rods 
as  well  as  his  satanic  majesty,  should  have  just  due. 
I  would  as  soon  think  of  going  on  a  long  wilderness 
trip  without  my  two  favorite  split-bamboos  as  with- 
out my  steeL  I  often  worry  about  the  treatment  my 
bamboos  are  receiving  when  upon  a  hard  treck,  but 
have  never  lost  a  wink  of  sleep  over  my  Bristol. 
Naturally  the  steel  is  not  possessed  of  the  fine  action 
and  quick  responsiveness,  neither  will  it  shoot  the 
lure  as  far  as  will  the  bamboo  or  solid  wood;  but 
dollar  for  dollar,  I  am  certain  that  in  the  lower 
priced  rods  you  will  secure  greater  value  for  your 
outlay.  Writes  a  correspondent:  "I  have  been 
attending  tournaments  for  several  years  and  I  have 
yet  to  see  my  first  steel  upon  the  platform."  Per- 
haps the  statement  is  true,  but  if  so  it  proves  nothing. 
Unfortunately  tournament  casting  is  not  fishing,  and 
therefore  is  not  the  real  test  of  a  rod's  quality. 
There  is  another  reason  why  the  steel  is  a  convenient 


THE  BAIT-CASTING  ROD  13 

rod  to  own,  but  we  will  discuss  that  matter  later  on. 
Every  angler  knows  the  story  of  the  three  country- 
men, who,  when  visiting  a  menagerie  for  the  first 
time,  stopped  in  front  of  the  elephant  in  open 
mouthed  astonishment.  Finally  one  of  them  gasped: 
"Don't  be  fooled  by  it,  fellows,  there  ain't  no  such 
animal."  So  when  we  turn  to  the  so-called  "noib- 
wood,"  we  are  compelled  to  confess  that  it  does  not 
exist.  The  truth  of  the  matter  is,  noib-wood  is  but 
selected  bethabara,  or  washaba.  There  are  many 
stories  regarding  the  origin  of  the  name,  one  of  the 
best  being  that  the  word  noyb — it  is  sometimes 
spelled  that  way — stands  for  the  words  "none  of 
your  business,"  the  reply  made  by  the  manufacturers 
to  eager  inquirers  regarding  the  material.  Granted 
that  the  material  is  but  selected  bethabara,  if  care- 
fully selected  and  well  made,  the  product  is  a  rod  of 
which  the  pofisesser  well  may  be  proud.  Says 
Mr.  S.  G.  Camp — "I  have  used  one  of  them  a  great 
deal  and  may  say  unreservedly  that  they  are  the  finest 
casting  rods  in  the  market;  that  is,  in  solid  wood.'* 
Perhaps  it  will  not  be  hard  for  the  reader  to  under- 
stand why  Mr.  H.  P.  Wells  and  Mr.  Perry  D. 
Frazer  are  silent  regarding  the  material,  a  little  mat- 
ter which  puzzled  me  for  some  time.  A  finely 
selected  "no'ib-wood"  rod  is  a  beautiful  and  splendid 
tool  but  unfortunately  many  a  cheap  grade  of  beth- 
abara IS  placed  upon  the  market  as  a  noib  rod.  So 
we  leave  this  would-be  aristocrat  amid  solid  woods 


14        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

and  turn  our  attention  to  the  material  sailing  under 
its  own  colors,  a  material,  grade  for  grade,  some- 
what cheaper  than  split-bamboo. 

Bethabara,  or  washaba,  is  the  best  easily  obtained 
wood  for  solid  rods.  I  doubt  if  this  assertion  can 
be  successfully  contradicted.  If  you  desire  a  solid 
wood  rod  and  are  willing  to  pay  from  $io  up,  by  all 
means  invest  in  a  bethabara,  and  the  word  of  my 
experience  for  it,  you  will  never  regret  the  outlay. 
In  color,  the  polished  wood  resembles  butternut, 
making  a  very  handsome  tool,  and  in  this  case  at 
least,  "Handsome  is  as  handsome  does."  The  wood 
comes  from  British  Guiana  where  it  is  a  common  tree 
attaining  a  height  of  lOO  feet  or  more.  So  highly 
is  the  tough  wood  regarded  by  the  natives  that  it  is 
employed  by  them  in  the  manufacture  of  bows,  as 
which  it  renders  lasting  and  efficient  service.  The 
wood  IS  unusually  heavy.  Wells  gives  its  specific 
gravity  as  1.2 140,  which  would  preclude  its  use  for 
casting  rods  were  it  not  for  its  exceeding  toughness, 
because  of  which  rods  can  be  made  of  small  caliber, 
commensurate  in  weight  with  bamboo.  Bethabara 
rods  are  exceedingly  powerful  and  lively,  good 
casters  as  well  as  "good  lookers."  However,  the 
owner  should  keep  the  tool  thoroughly  varnished  for 
the  wood  may  be  warped  by  changes  in  temperature 
or  through  careless  handling,  though  bethabara  is 
not  as  prone  to  offend  In  this  manner  as  Is  lancewood; 
however,  any  rod,  solid  wood  especially,  may  warp — ► 


THE  BAIT-CASTING  ROD  15 

"set" — from  heedless  or  careless  handling,  a  matter 
which  the  rodster  should  bear  in  mind. 

True  greenheart  grows  only  in  British  Guiana, 
where  immense  forests  of  the  trees  are  to  be  found, 
and,  by  the  way,  greenheart  timber  is  the  chief  export 
of  the  island.  Dutch  Guiana  also  boasts  of  green- 
heart, but  the  tree  so  named  is  thought  to  be  a  dif- 
ferent species  from  that  of  the  one  found  in  British 
Guiana.  Greenheart  is  said  to  be  the  hardest  wood 
known  to  dendrologists,  and  more  durable  than  steel 
or  iron  when  buried  in  water  or  placed  in  contact 
with  the  soil.  Logs  of  the  wood  have  remained 
under  water  for  100  years  and  have  kept  in  perfectly 
sound  condition.  It  is  largely  used  for  lock  gates 
and  our  navy  is  said  to  be  investigating  its  possibili- 
ties as  an  armor-backing  material  in  the  place  of  teak 
wood  now  used.  If  greenheart  be,  as  is  said,  the 
strongest  timber  in  use,  with  a  crushing  strength  of 
12,000  pounds  to  the  square  inch,  6^  per  cent, 
greater  than  that  of  English  oak,  what  wonder  that 
rod  makers  early  turned  their  attention  to  the 
material? 

In  greenheart  we  have  an  excellent  rod  material. 
Wells  ranking  it  above  bethabara,  and  I  think  for 
the  amateur  rod  maker  it  deserves  that  place,  for  it 
is  more  easily  worked  as  well  as  procured;  but  in  the 
matter  of  "toughness" — resiliency  and  shooting 
power — I  believe  that  bethabara  should  be  given 
first  position,  with  greenheart  a  close  second.    How- 


i6       CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

ever,  I  must  confess  that  I  have  foynd  greenheart 
quite  apt  to  "set"  under  provocation,  more  Inclined 
to  the  habit,  I  think,  than  is  bethabara,  thoug?>Tiot  all 
anglers  and  rod  makers  agree  with  me.  It  ft' some- 
what lighter  than  the  former  wood  and  therefore 
rods  can  be  of  larger  caliber  without  materially 
Increasing  the  weight,  a  little  matter  which  recom- 
mends It  to  certain  rodsters,  for  naturally  the  heavier 
the  rod  the  heavier  strain  It  will  endure.  The 
greenheart  Is  a  good  rod  and  cheap,  a  w.ell  made 
caster  being  procurable  for  $6.00  and  up.  You  will 
make  no  mistake  in  investing  In  a  greenheart. 

I  am  not  a  lover  of  lancewood  casting  rods,  that 
in  spite  of  their  cheapness  and  beauty.  I  have  had 
trouble  with  their  "setting"  under  hard  service,  even 
atmospheric  changes  at  times  working  havoc  with 
them.  Recently  I  built  one  with  double  guides, 
guides  upon  either  side  of  the  rod,  so  that  I  could 
use  one  side  one  day  and  the  other  the  next.  It  has 
worked  well.  My  rod  is  with  the  separate  reel-seat, 
the  first  joint  consisting  of  handle  and  reel-seat  only, 
as  would  be  necessary.  Lancewood  casters  have  the 
questionable  virtue  of  being  cheap,  consequentially 
it  is  more  difficult  to  secure  a  real  good  lancewood 
than  It  Is  to  secure  a  perfect  rod  of  more  expensive 
material.  Perhaps  the  wood  Is  not  receiving  its  just 
due  these  days  for  it  undoubtedly  has  gone  out  of 
fashion;  one  seldom  sees  a  lancewood  casting  rod  on 
lake  or  stream,  that  in  spite  of  its  reasonable  price. 


THE  BAIT-CASTING  ROD  17 

jl  have  a  salt-water  rod  in  lancewood,  double- 
guided.  (It  was  this  rod,  by  the  way,  which  suggested 
a  dou  e-guided  casting  rod),  that  has  never  shown 
any  te*^dency  to  warp,  but  then,  it  is  of  exceedingly 
large  caliber.  If  the  owner  of  a  lancewood  would 
suspend  the  rod  from  the  tip  with  a  weight  attached 
at  the  butt,  when  not  in  use,  he  would  find  that  it 
w^ould  go  far  to  correct  any  tendency  to  "set"  which 
the  rod  might  have  manifested.  And,  in  passing,  it 
is  a  good  plan  to  administer  a  dose  of  the  same  medi- 
cine to  any  wood  rod,  the  most  aristocratic  split- 
bamboo  not  excepted.  It  is  exceedingly  difficult  to 
correct  a  warped  rod  that  has  been  neglected  for  any 
length  of  time,  therefore  the  wise  angler  is  quick  to 
suspend  his  rod  as  directed  above  as  soon  as  a  hint 
of  "set"  is  manifested. 

Anglers  are  always  on  the  lookout  for  rod  ma- 
terial, always  experimenting,  usually  disappointed, 
though  often  thinking  that  they  have  made  an  im- 
portant discovery.  In  the  foregoing  paragraphs  we 
have  mentioned  the  most  generally  used  materials, 
and  there  remains  but  to  speak  of  a  few  others  some- 
times employed.  Ironwood  makes  a  good  rod, 
somewhat  heavy,  it  is  true,  liable  to  fracture  and  not 
possessed  of  great  casting  power;  however,  I  am  not 
altogether  satisfied  with  my  experiments,  having  thus 
far  found  it  exceedingly  difficult  to  secure  good  sec- 
tions of  the  material.  I  can  not  help  believing  that 
ironwood  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  occasionally  used 


i8        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

American  woods.  So  far  I  have  found  the  rod  must 
be  of  no  inconsiderable  caliber  in  order  to  secure 
sufficient  backbone  and  shooting  power. 

Two  years  ago  a  friend  sent  me  three  sticks  of 
western  yew  {Taxm  brevifolia,  Nutt),  a  tough, 
straight  grained  wood,  employed  by  the  Indians  of 
the  North-west  for  bows;  which  I  made  up  into  a 
casting  rod,  finishing  It  In  its  natural  color,  and  it 
made  a  beautiful  caster.  I  have  not  had  sufficient 
opportunity  to  try  It  out,  but  thus  far  the  rod  has 
stood  up  well.  It  has  an  unusual  amount  of  back- 
bone and  shooting  power,  and  has  not  the  tendency 
to  "set"  that  most  native  woods  manifest,  though  It 
does  become  bent  under  hard  service.  I  do  not  pro- 
fess that  this  yew  Is  the  long  sought  native  rod  ma- 
terial, but  I  do  claim  for  It  the  respectful  attention 
of  rod  makers.  I  doubt  that  It  will  ever  be  used  for 
fly  rods  to  any  great  extent  but  it  does  make  up  Into 
very  good  short  casting  rods. 

Hickory  has  been  used  for  ages  In  this  country ;  by 
the  Indians  for  bows,  by  the  ox-drivers  for  goad- 
sticks,  by  the  wood-choppers  for  axe-helves.  In  fact 
it  has  been  employed  wherever  a  tough,  pliable  wood 
has  been  required.  However,  It  is  not  a  success  as  a 
rod  material,  for  while  It  Is  tough  enough  It  lacks 
backbone,  is  too  whippy,  and  "sets"  almost  at  the 
first  cast.  One  peculiarity  of  my  hickory  rod  is  that 
It  seems  to  be  Influenced  by  climatic  changes,  even 
though  stored  away  In  my  rod-cabinet.    The  weight 


THE  BAIT-CASTING  ROD  19 

of  the  wood  prevents  constructing  a  rod  of  sufficient 
caliber  to  obviate  setting. 

Ash  deserves  only  a  word,  for,  while  it  is  light  it 
is  not  sufficiently  tough  for  the  work  required  of  a 
casting  rod.  Good  for  first  joints,  butts,  and  that  is 
all.  If  you  are  building  a  rod  and  desire  to  elim- 
inate every  superfluous  ounce,  build  the  butt  joint  of 
ash  and  the  tip  of  yew :  it  makes  a  good  combination. 

Osage  orange  is  sometimes  used  by  amateur 
workers  but  manufacturers  hardly  consider  it  worthy 
of  notice,  though  Wells  hoped  "that  here  we  may 
find  a  domestic  material  equal,  if  not  superior,  to 
most  of  the  foreign  woods,"  and  quotes  Mr.  D.  J. 
Brown  as  follows:  "The  wood  of  the  Machura 
{Osage  orange)  is  of  a  bright  yellow  color,  some- 
what resembling  the  fustic,  and  like  the  wood  of  that 
tree,  it  is  said,  affords  a  yellow  dye.  It  is  solid, 
heavy,  durable,  uncommonly  fine  grained,  and 
elastic;  and  on  account  of  the  latter  property  it  is 
used  for  bows  by  all  the  tribes  of  the  Indians  of  the 
region  where  It  abounds.  When  wrought  It  receives 
a  beautiful  polish  of  the  appearance  and  brilliancy  of 
satinwood."  Personally  I  have  not  experimented 
with  it,  but  a  number  of  my  correspondents  have,  and 
report  varying  degrees  of  success.  I  am  not  ready 
to  recommend  it. 

The  great  problem  one  faces  when  experimenting 
with  native  woods  is  the  difficulty  of  securing  prop- 
erly cut  and  cured  material.     Perhaps  that  Is  the 


20        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

reason  why  the  average  rod  maker  seldom  tries  out, 
or  at  least  reports  trying  out,  native  stock.  There 
is  rare  fun  in  experimenting  with  new  rod  materials, 
a  discovery  which  every  amateur  workman  should 
make,  and  so  long  as  we  can  not  find  such  rods  upon 
the  market,  we,  perforce,  must  learn  to  build  them 
for  ourselves.  As  aids  to  rod  making  I  would  urge 
my  reader  to  secure  Frazer's  "The  Angler's  Work- 
shop," and  Wells'  "Fly  Rods  and  Fly  Tackle." 

NUMBER  OF  JOINTS 

When  it  comes  to  discussing  the  number  of  joints 
Into  which  the  casting  rod  may  be  divided  there  is  a 
great  diversity  of  opinion,  though  there  is  no  ques- 
tion but  that  the  one  piece  rod  is  the  ideal.  Far  and 
away  the  best  wood  rod,  no  matter  what  the  ma- 
terial, is  the  one  made  from  a  single  piece  of  wood. 
This  can  not  be  successfully  contradicted.  It  stands 
to  reason,  if  given  a  perfect  section  of  rod  material, 
solid  wood  or  split-bamboo,  with  grain  running  from 
hand-grasp  to  tip-top,  well  built  and  accurately 
mounted,  that  such  a  rod  will  possess  better  action 
than  the  one  made  up  of  two  or  more  sections. 
Wherever  a  ferrule  is  introduced  is  a  point  of  weak- 
ness, all  can  see  that.  I  am  a  believer  in  and  a 
lover  of  the  one  piece  rod.  I  own  one  which  I 
honestly  think  it  would  be  impossible  for  any  maker 
to  excel,  so  perfect  is  it  in  action  and  "feel;"  the 
hand-grasp,   eight  inches  long,   slips  from  the  rod. 


THE  BAIT-CASTING  ROD  21 

aside  from  which  it  is  made  from  six  strips  of  choice 
bamboo,  perfectly  joined  together.  I  know  of  no 
rod  its  equal.  Were  action  the  only  matter  for  us 
to  consider,  the  discussion  of  the  number  of  joints 
would  cease  right  here,  but  unfortunately  there  are 
several  other  elements  entering  into  the  problem. 

The  chief  reason  why  we  build  our  casting  rods 
with  two  or  more  sections  is  simply  a  matter  of  con- 
venience. It  is  hard  to  Imagine  a  more  difficult 
article  to  pack  or  "tote"  than  a  slender,  easily  broken 
stick,  5  feet,  6  Inches  long.  It  will  refuse  to  enter  a 
trunk,  will  not  slip  under  an  auto  or  buggy  seat,  and 
Is  in  every  one's  way  on  board  train.  Always  the 
owner  is  haunted  with  the  fear  of  a  broken  rod,  some 
one  may  step  on  it  if  placed  on  the  floor,  and  In  the 
tent  it  is  more  In  the  way  than  a  poodle  dog.  But  In 
the  boat,  when  bass  are  rising,  or  long  and  difficult 
casts  are  required.  Its  possession  Is  a  pure  and 
unalloyed  pleasure.  For  the  home  or  permanent 
fishing  camp,  by  all  means  the  one  piece  rod,  but  for 
convenience  in  transporting,  something  else. 

There  is  another  reason  why  It  is  the  part  of 
wisdom  to  build  rods  with  more  than  one  section. 
It  Is  exceedingly  difficult  to  procure  material  "clear" 
enough  and  straight  enough  to  make  a  rod  all  one 
piece.  Every  amateur  rod  maker  has  discovered 
that  a  strip  of  bamboo  ofttlmes  may  be  cut  to  advan- 
tage, leaving  out  knots  and  blemishes  which  make 
for  weakness;  consequentially  the  short  joint  rod 


22        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

may,  nay,  should  possess  better  material,  price  for 
price.  However,  I  urge  you  to  note  the  suggestion 
of  doubt  conveyed  In  the  last  half  of  the  foregoing 
sentence.  The  fact  of  the  matter  Is,  all  depends  upon 
the  maker  producing  the  rod,  some  apparently  being 
satisfied  when  they  have  placed  a  rod  upon  the 
market,  while  others  think  of  quality  first  and  sales 
afterward. 

Do  not  think  to  pay  less  than  $15.00  for  a  one 
piece  rod,  a  good  one  can  not  be  built  for  less,  and 
as  much  more  as  you  can  afford.  Twenty-five  dollars 
is  not  an  exorbitant  price  for  a  high  grade  caster,  if 
built  in  one  piece.  Rod  No.  2  in  the  illustration  is 
priced  at  $15.00,  and  to  me  represents  about  the  last 
word  in  rod  making  for  the  money.  If  it  were  not 
for  the  matter  of  convenience  in  transportation,  as 
pointed  out  in  a  preceding  paragraph,  it  is  the  only 
split-bamboo  I  would  recommend  for  bass  fishing. 
And  $15.00  is  quite  a  sum  to  pay  for  a  short  rod. 

Granted,  then,  that  by  and  large  it  is  the  part  of 
wisdom  to  purchase  a  jointed  caster,  how  many  joints 
should  it  possess?  The  answer  will  depend  upon 
your  desires.  If  you  want  a  rod  that  can  be  carried 
In  a  suit-case,  you  must  get  one  with  three  joints; 
but  if  you  are  willing  to  carry  the  rod-case  In  your 
hand,  I  would  recommend  the  two  piece  rod  by  all 
means.  Remember,  in  the  wood  rod,  when  we  intro- 
duce a  ferrule  we  Introduce  weakness,  the  more  fer- 
rules the  greater  the  weakness.    No  ferrule  Is  elastic, 


THE  BAIT-CASTING  ROD  23 

nor  Indeed  can  be,  hence  the  rod  breaks;  if  it  breaks, 
nine  times  out  of  ten,  at  the  ferrule;  just  above  or 
below,  usually  below.  This  tendency  is  overcome  to 
a  degree  by  using  serrated  ferrules,  a  matter  to  be 
discussed  later  on,  but  even  the  serrated  ferrule  will 
not  insure  a  rod  against  heavy  strain. 

Where  shall  we  place  the  ferrule  in  a  two  piece 
rod,  or  rather,  what  shall  be  the  relative  length  of 
the  two  joints?  I  have  experimented  at  some  length 
during  the  past  few  years  and  have  found  my  experi- 
ments quite  costly,  but  as  a  result  I  am  ready  to 
affirm  that  there  is  but  one  best  construction  for  the 
two  piece  caster,  viz.,  short  butt  and  long  tip. 
The  farther  down  the  rod  we  place  the  ferrule,  or 
in  other  words,  the  longer  the  tip,  all  else  being 
equal,  the  stronger  the  rod.  Let  the  butt  be  rather 
stocky  but  not  actlonless,  though  you  should  look  to 
the  long  tip  for  resiliency  and  casting  power.  The 
butt  will  never  break,  the  tip  may,  therefore,  always 
carry  an  extra  one.  Parenthetically:  some  of  my  two 
piece  rods  have  been  in  active  service  for  upwards 
of  ten  years,  and  to  date,  none  of  them  have  broken 
or  shown  signs  of  weakness.)  The  butt  should  be 
about  263/2  inches  long,  including  the  ferrule;  and 
the  tip  35  inches,  including  ferrule  and  tip-top. 
When  assembled  the  rod  is  exactly  5  feet  long.  We 
lose  an  Inch  and  a  half  ferrule  insertion.  Practically 
the  ideal  caster  will  be — "two  to  three'' — that  is,  the 
butt  two  feet  and  the  tip  three ;  though  actually,  there 


24        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

may  be  a  variation  of  an  inch  or  two.  So,  second  to 
the  one  piece  rod,  is  the  two  piece,  long  tip,  short 
butt  construction. 

As  has  been  emphasized  already,  the  only  reason 
for  the  three  piece  rod  is  the  matter  of  convenience. 
There  are  times  when  to  slip  a  casting  rod  into  a 
suit-case  is  a  convenience  indeed.  In  the  wood  rod 
I  regard  the  three  piece  rod  as  stronger  than  the  two 
piece  when  both  butt  and  tip  are  of  equal  length,  the 
added  ferrule  being  more  than  off-set  by  the  position 
of  the  ferrule  in  the  middle  of  the  two  piece.  I  think 
no  argument  will  be  necessary  here.  However,  by 
actual  tests  I  have  convinced  myself  that  the  three 
piece  rod  can  not  stand  up  under  the  same  strain  that 
the  two  piece  rod — long  tip  and  short  butt  construc- 
tion— will  endure  without  harm.  I  do  not  want  you 
to  understand  me  as  saying  that  the  three  piece  rod 
is  not  a  good  tool.  I  have  one  with  joints  27  inches 
long,  a  6-foot-6  rod  when  assembled,  that  is  all  that 
the  most  fastidious  and  particular  crank  could  re- 
quire ;  naturally  the  unusual  length  adds  somewhat  to 
its  strength,  but  even  in  the  5  foot  length,  if  well 
made,  it  would  prove  satisfactory.  Just  the  same,  I 
am  not  advising  even  high  grade  split-bamboo 
casters  in  the  three  piece  style ;  the  two  piece  is  best. 

If  for  the  sake  of  convenience  you  need  a  three 
piece  rod,  then  invest  in  a  high  grade  steel,  than 
which  there  is  nothing  better.  Obviously  the  ma- 
terial from  which  the  rod  is  made  lends  itself  admir- 


THE  BAIT-CASTING  ROD  25 

ably  to  division.  I  came  near  saying  that  you  might 
cut  it  up  into  coat-pocket  lengths  without  harm, 
though  that  is  nonsense.  Take  that  Bristol  No.  33 
as  an  illustration:  three  joints  18  inches  long,  and  a 
handle  1 2  >4  ;  when  assembled  the  rod  is  exactly  4 
feet,  II  Inches  In  length,  called  for  convenience  a 
5  foot  rod.  (Of  course  it  can  be  secured  In  other 
lengths.)  If  the  reader  has  been  figuring  upon  the 
length  of  each  joint,  he  may  wonder  where  so  many 
inches  are  lost;  but  when  informed  that  the  female 
ferrules  chamber  2>^  inches  each,  the  enigma  is 
solved;  a  fact,  by  the  way,  which  adds  greatly  to  the 
strength  of  the  rod.  Strictly  speaking  the  steel  rod 
is  ferruleless,  for  one  can  not  call  the  strengthening 
phospher-bronze  bands  ferrules.  The  rod  of  which 
I  write  is  in  no  sense  an  "iron  pole,"  nor  yet  is  it 
cheap;  sells,  I  believe,  for  $15.00,  German  silver 
and  agate  mounted.  "If  It  breaks"?  Of  course 
there  is  ever  that  haunting  fear.  But  suppose  the 
horse  should  run  away,  suppose  the  auto  should  turn 
turtle,  the  train  go  into  the  ditch,  the  boat  sink,  etc., 
etc.  I  have  never  broken  a  steel  rod,  but  I  have 
always  used  good  ones.  Do  not  buy  a  department- 
store,  99  cent  rod. 

There  is  a  steel  caster  upon  the  market  called  the 
"De  Luxe"  which  should  be  mentioned  here,  though 
in  truth  It  deserves  more  than  mere  mention.  It  Is 
rightly  named.  It  is  de  luxe  from  tip-top  to  butt- 
cap.     The  makers  have  spared  no  pains  to  produce 


26        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

as  perfect  a  rod  as  It  Is  possible  to  build  from  steel, 
and  have  wound  it  with  the  best  of  silk,  laid  on  with 
loving  care.  Mountings  are  German  silver  and 
agate.  Undoubtedly  the  winding  gives  added 
strength,  and  if  kept  thoroughly  shellaced,  to  ex- 
clude water,  the  rod  will  unquestionably  render  life- 
long service.  While  not  wound  in  order  to  conceal 
the  material,  to  the  casual  observer,  the  rod  Is  taken 
for  some  solid  wood,  or  round  split-bamboo.  A 
number  of  times  I  have  asked  rodsters  to  name  the 
material  from  which  the  De  Luxe  is  made  and  very 
seldom  Indeed  has  one  suggested  steel.  However, 
as  intimated  a  moment  ago,  the  purpose  of  the  wind- 
ing is  not  to  deceive,  but  to  add  strength  and  beauty. 
Any  user  of  a  steel  rod  need  not  be  ashamed  of  his 
caster,  much  less  the  user  of  the  De  Luxe. 

I  believe  that  I  have  said  more  in  defense  of  steel 
as  a  rod  material  than  any  angling  writer,  and 
I  am  the  owner  and  proud  user  of  a  number  of  split- 
bamboo  and  solid  wood  rods.  "Why  do  I  devote 
so  much  space  to  the  steel?"  Simply  because  the  rod 
is  making  head  in  spite  of  its  critics,  winning  through 
sheer  merit,  and  this  work  must  supply  the  Informa- 
tion the  amateur  seeks.  I  am  trying  to  give  an 
unbiased  opinion  of  the  steel  rod.  I  have  no  axe  to 
grind,  surely  it  Is  unnecessary  for  me  to  say  that. 

Now  to  return  to  the  subject  we  were  discussing  a 
moment  ago.  Like  a  great  many  angling  topics,  the 
last  word  will  never  be  said  regarding  the  correct 


THE  BAIT-CASTING  ROD  27 

number  of  joints,  for  no  two  anglers  are  In  perfect 
agreement.  Bear  In  mind  the  point  which  has  been 
emphasized  a  number  of  times  already,  all  depends 
upon  the  particular  work  to  which  you  are  going  to 
put  your  rod.  Remember,  there  Is  no  such  thing  as 
a  "general  purpose  rod,"  supply  catalogs  to  the  con- 
trary notwithstanding.  If  I  were  limited  to  a  single 
casting  rod  I  would  select  a  split-bamboo,  long  tip 
and  short  butt  construction;  but  I  am  glad  I  am  not, 
that  I  can  have  my  Bristol  No.  33  for  hand-bag  use, 
and  the  De  Luxe  for  muskellunge  fishing,  where  I 
desire  strength  and  enjoy  beauty  also.  Remember 
all  that  has  been  said  regarding  steel  as  the  material 
for  the  rough  and  ready  rod,  the  rod  to  carry  day  in 
and  day  out  when  the  trail  Is  rough  and  the  going 
bad. 

Recently  there  appeared  upon  the  market  a  rod 
with  two  tips  of  different  lengths  and  weight,  fitting 
the  same  handle;  the  idea  being  to  supply  two  rods 
at  the  price  of  one.  It  Is  a  beautiful,  well  made 
bamboo,  and  stands  up  remarkably  well  under  hard 
service.  The  short  tip  gives  the  angler  a  stocky  rod 
for  casting  heavy  lures,  handling  southern  bass  and 
great  northern  pike ;  the  long  tip  provides  him  with 
a  light,  actionable  rod  adapted  to  handling  light 
lures  and  Ideal  for  ordinary  northern  bass  casting. 
The  rod  sells  In  various  grades  from  $3.00  to 
$15.00.  I  am  surprised  that  makers  have  not  hit 
upon  the  Idea  for  all  casting  rods.     Some  amateur 


28        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

builders  have  built  themselves  rods  with  two  or  more 
tips  of  different  lengths  and  weights  but  now  the 
man  who  lacks  time  or  inclination  to  build  can  secure 
such  a  rod  from  the  market.  I  commend  the  tool  to 
serious  fishermen. 

MOUNTINGS 
By  rod  mountings  we  mean  everything  attached  to 
the  joints — butt-cap,  hand-grasp,  reel-seat,  ferrules, 
guides  and  tip-top.  We  may  set  it  down  as  a  general 
rule  that  nothing  should  be  added  to  a  rod  for  the 
sake  of  mere  beauty,  though  even  that  should  be 
taken  with  a  wee  bit  of  Attic  salt.  However,  utility 
and  durability  should  be  our  watchwords.  To  illus- 
trate: I  advocate  German  silver  in  all  metal  parts, 
not  simply  because  silver  is  more  handsome,  but  be- 
cause it  renders  more  lasting  service.  I  am  not  say- 
ing that  the  windings  of  a  rod  should  not  be  "foxy" 
if  you  have  a  penchant  for  that  variety  of  ornamen- 
tation, or  that  you  should  not  have  your  steel  rod 
enameled  in  any  other  color  save  that  of  black:  if 
you  desire  green,  blue,  or  what  not,  that  is  your 
affair.  However,  I  think  that  a  strikingly  orna- 
mented rod  may  have  a  tendency  to  frighten  an 
overly  shy  fish,  though  perhaps  there  Is  little  danger 
on  this  score  In  bait  casting,  whatever  may  be  true  of 
fly-fishing.  This  Is  the  point  I  desire  to  make,  never 
surrender  quality  to  appearance.  But  more  regard- 
ing this  matter  as  we  take  up  the  various  mountings. 


THE  BAIT-CASTING  ROD  29 

Three  materials  are  used  for  ferrules,  and  we 
mention  them  in  the  order  of  their  value:  brass, 
nickel  and  German  silver.  The  first  we  dismiss  with 
but  a  word,  do  not  employ  it.  Nickel  is  better  and 
more  sightly,  but  unfortunately  in  course  of  time  the 
plating  wears  away  and  the  ferrules  present  a  very 
unsatisfactory  appearance.  For  a  little  more  money 
one  can  secure  German  silver,  a  durable  and  beauti- 
ful material.  German  silver  is  hereby  recommended 
for  all  rod  mountings. 

As  to  the  type  of  ferrule  to  employ,  personally  I 
prefer  the  welted  and  capped,  with  caps  ''serrated" 
or  split,  so  that  the  winding  can  be  brought  up  over 
the  saw-tooth-like  ends.  It  is  my  belief  that  wood 
rods  are  not  so  apt  to  break  at  the  ferrule  when  the 
metal  is  serrated  as  there  is  a  wee  bit  of  elasticity  at 
the  danger  point.  The  "welt"  at  the  end  of  the  fer- 
rul  strengthens  the  edge,  and  should  never  be 
omitted.  The  center  should  have  a  closed  end.  It 
is  true  that  all  good  rods  are  to-day  equipped  with 
capped  and  welted  ferrules,  closed  end  centers, 
whether  or  not  they  are  serrated;  but  in  ordering,  it 
is  part  of  wisdom  to  know  what  you  want  and  why 
you  want  It,  then  make  your  specifications. 

Guides  are  made  In  many  shapes,  and  while  prob- 
ably there  is  no  "best"  shape,  still  I  have  found  that 
the  more  simple  the  guide  the  better  it  will  satisfy. 
One  sometimes  sees  casting  rods  equipped  with 
trumpet  guides,  but  upon  the  whole   I  prefer  the 


30        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

narrow,  raised,  off-set  agate  guide.  It  Is  better  to 
have  the  rod  equipped  throughout  with  agate,  but 
at  any  rate  the  first  guide  and  tip-top  should  be  of 
that  material.  Agate  reduces  friction  to  the  mini- 
mum and  therefore  not  only  Increases  the  caster's 
distance,  but  also  prevents  wear  upon  the  line.  As 
agate  guides  are  somewhat  expensive  the  caster  is 
sometimes  under  the  necessity  of  finding  a  substitute, 
and  adamant  Is  recommended.  Shun  all  "ginger- 
bread" work  and  unduly  large  guides,  either  will 
prove  an  abomination.  First  guides  need  not  be  over 
a  quarter  of  an  Inch  In  diameter — inside  measure- 
ment— the  second  slightly  smaller.  I  would  not 
place  over  two,  aside  from  the  tip-top,  upon  a  five 
foot  rod.  The  more  guides,  the  greater  the  friction 
and  wear  upon  the  line.  Personally  I  want  plenty 
of  room  between  the  reel  and  first  guide — about  24 
Inches — but  if  you  do  not  care  for  that  "play  room," 
then  use  three  guides,  the  first  about  6  inches  from 
the  reel.  Undoubtedly  the  third  guide  adds  some- 
thing to  the  strength  of  the  rod.  I  think  if  I  were 
selecting  a  steel  or  solid  wood  rod  I  would  prefer 
three  guides,  and  am  under  the  Impression  that  they 
are  generally  so  equipped. 

We  may  dismiss  the  tip-top  with  a  brief  para- 
graph, for  all  that  has  been  said  regarding  guides 
applies  to  it.  The  material  should  undoubtedly  be 
German  silver,  if  possible  agate  lined.  I  would  not 
employ  the   so-called   "guarded   tip,"   a   wire  upon 


THE  BAIT-CASTING  ROD  31 

either  side  the  tip  to  guide  the  line  into  the  ring;  I 
can  not  see  that  it  serves  any  good  purpose,  simply 
adds  to  line-friction  and  in  no  wise  strengthens  the 
tip.  These  guarded  tips  are  supplied  in  many 
shapes,  but  after  trying  out  a  number  I  have  gone 
back  to  the  old,  simple  angle  top,  than  which  I  am 
firmly  convinced  there  is  none  better. 

When  we  turn  to  the  reel-seat  and  hand-grasp, 
there  is  room  for  discussion,  for  there  are  many 
forms  of  both  upon  the  market.  The  reel-seat 
should  be  of  metal,  preferably  German  silver.  The 
purpose  of  the  reel-seat  is  to  hold  the  reel  in  position, 
and  if  it  fails  to  do  that  it  has  no  place  upon  the  rod. 
Get  that  firmly  in  mind — the  reel  is  to  be  held 
securely.  Unless  the  reel-band  is  held  down  by  a 
finger-hook,  to  be  discussed  in  the  next  paragraph, 
the  reel-band  will  work  up  in  casting,  releasing  the 
reel,  to  obviate  which  rod-makers  have  resorted  to 
many  expedients.  One  maker  has  produced  a  rod 
with  a  separable  reel-seat,  so  to  speak;  the  handle  is 
pulled  out  to  insert  the  reel,  then  shoved  home  and 
locked  in  position  by  a  little  pin  which  slips  into  a 
hole  in  the  reel-seat.  Needless  to  add,  once  In  place, 
the  reel  can  not  possibly  fall  out,  neither  can  it  work 
up  the  reel-slot. 

Other  makers  have  arranged  reel-bands  with  lock- 
ing devices  of  various  sorts,  more  or  less  efficient, 
from  a  set-screw  to  a  band  so  arranged  that  it  fastens 
by  a  simple  turn  to  the  left  or  right.    Let  the  would- 


2,2        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

be  purchaser  of  a  rod  bear  in  mind  that  this  locking 
reel-band  must  lock,  or  he  will  be  driving  ineffective 
wooden  "toggles"  beneath  the  band  to  the  efface- 
ment  of  the  reel-seat.  It  is  almost  impossible  to 
wedge  a  loose  reel  into  position.  I  have  often  won- 
dered why  rod-makers  do  not  reverse  the  reel-seat, 
following  the  reel  with  the  band  instead  of  preceding 
it,  then  the  reel  would  pull  into  position  instead  of 
out.  I  have  experimented  somewhat  with  a  reversed 
reel-seat  with  flattering  results. 

More  than  one  amateur  had  thrown  his  rod  away, 
or  had  it  dragged  from  his  hand  by  an  unusually 
heavy  fish.  I  knew  a  man  not  so  long  ago  who  pur- 
chased a  fine  steel  rod  one  evening,  and  at  the  very 
first  cast  the  next  morning  threw  the  whole  outfit, 
including  a  $25.00  reel,  out  into  thirty  feet  of  water. 
It  is  there  yet,  I  guess,  for  to  the  best  of  my  knowl- 
edge it  was  never  recovered,  though  many  a  small 
boy  wasted  happy  hours  fishing  for  it.  A  simple 
finger-hook  would  have  obviated  the  accident.  As 
intimated  above,  a  finger-hook  attached  to  the  reel- 
band,  acts  as  an  efficient  lock,  the  finger  holds  the  reel 
In  place.  Personally,  I  do  not  like  the  finger-hook 
however,  as  it  has  a  tendency  to  cause  cramp  in  the 
caster's  fore-finger.  The  Bristol  people  make  a  de- 
tachable finger-hook  which  is  a  good  thing,  as  it  can 
be  removed  without  trouble.  I  have  given  you  the 
"why"  of  the  finger-hook,  and  it  accomplishes  the 


THE  BAIT-CASTING  ROD  33 

thing  for  which  designed,  though  for  the  reason  just 
given  I  do  not  use  it. 

In  the  matter  of  hand-grasps  there  is  a  wide  range 
of  selection,  both  in  form  and  material.  I  strongly 
prefer  the  double  style,  though  a  good  many  anglers 
use  the  single.  In  reeling  in,  the  left  hand  naturally 
grasps  the  rod  by  the  forward  grip,  the  thumb  and 
fore-finger  laying  the  line.  As  it  adds  to  the  beauty 
arid  symmetry  of  the  rod  as  well  as  to  its  serviceable- 
ness,the  only  indictment  which  can  be  brought  against 
it  is  the  matter  of  weight,  an  infinitesimal  item. 
Should  you  try  out  two  rods,  one  with  a  forward 
hand-grasp,  the  other  without,  and  like  both  equally 
well,  my  advice  would  be,  select  the  one  with  the  for- 
ward grip.  The  hand-grasp  itself  should  be  "soft" 
to  the  hand,  otherwise  the  rodster  will  find  his  hand 
growing  sore  after  continued  casting.  After  experi- 
menting with  many  materials  I  gladly  give  first  place 
to  cork;  it  offers  sufficient  grip,  is  not  harsh  to  the 
hand,  and  when  made  of  select  material,  is  durable. 
The  veneered  cork  hand-grasp  Is  almost  worthless, 
as  it  is  certain  to  crack  and  peel  under  service.  The 
grasp  should  be  constructed  of  cork  rings,  firmly 
glued  together  over  a  wood  core,  the  method  em- 
ployed in  constructing  all  better  grade  rods.  I  think 
I  would  give  second  place  to  the  solid  wood  handle, 
though  somewhat  heavier  than  cork  and  the  other 
materials  used.  The  celluloid  wound  handle  is 
pleasant  to  the  feel,  but  liable  to  break.     The  cord 


34       CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

wound  handle  Is  harsh  to  the  hand  and  also  liable  to 
disaster.  I  am  so  much  in  favor  of  the  solid  cork 
handle  that  I  am  going  to  leave  the  question  by  urg- 
ing the  angler  to  Invest  in  a  rod  provided  with  a 
hand-grasp  of  that  material,  knowing  full  well  that 
he  will  later  "rise  up  and  call  me  blessed." 

There  remains  to  consider  the  butt-cap,  the  end  of 
the  rod,  and  we  will  have  finished  our  discussion  of 
this  Important  Implement.  Material — German  sil- 
ver, of  course.  It  should  be  of  sufficient  weight  to 
resist  banging — abuse — without  denting.  A  little 
judicious  "milling''  adds  to  Its  appearance.  There  is 
no  advantage  that  I  can  see  In  having  a  "screw-off" 
butt-cap  unless  you  have  a  "reversible  handle,"  ob- 
viously out  of  place  on  a  casting  rod,  for  the  reel  will 
never  be  used  below  the  hand.  If  we  were  dealing 
with  a  live  bait  rod,  we  might  find  use  for  the  reel 
below  the  hand  under  certain  conditions. 

So  I  bring  to  a  conclusion  our  discussion  of  the 
rod.  I  have  tried  to  be  perfectly  fair  In  my  presen- 
tation of  the  matter,  though  undoubtedly  I  am  more 
or  less  opinionated — all  anglers  are.  As  I  have  said 
again  and  again,  in  the  foregoing  pages,  I  have 
simply  recorded  the  results  of  my  own  experiments 
and  experiences.  I  love  the  short  rod  and  casting 
reel.  More  skill  is  required  to  properly  handle  them 
than  many  a  fiy-fisher  realizes.  Not  "any  old  stick 
will  do  for  a  bait-casting  rod,"  as  one  contemptuous 
correspondent  asserts,  but  It  must  be  constructed  on 


THE  BAIT-CASTING  ROD  35 

scientific  principles  so  that  it  will  not  only  respond  to 
the  surge  of  the  fish,  but  also  to  the  impulse  and 
whim  of  the  angler.  The  good  casting  rod  is  almost 
sentient. 

Whether  you  select  split-bamboo,  a  solid  wood,  or 
a  steel,  select  as  good  and  well  mounted  a  caster  as 
you  can  afford.  See  that  it  has  the  backbone  and 
resiliency  necessary,  without  which  it  will  indeed  be 
but  "a  stick."  And  lastly,  as  the  preachers  say,  let 
it  be  one  that  "feels  right"  in  your  hand;  that  is,  a 
rod  that  fits  you. 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  CASTING  REEL 

HISTORY 

In  no  single  Item  of  the  bait-caster*s  outfit  has 
there  been  greater  development  than  in  the  reel.  It 
Is  a  long  journey  from  the  first  single  action  winder 
down  through  the  years  to  the  modern  quadruple, 
self-winding,  self-thumbing,  self-a-hundred-and-one- 
other-thlngs  reel. 

Just  where  and  when  the  fishing  reel  originated  we 
know  not,  but  we  find  mention  of  It  In  "The  Com- 
plete Angler";  says  Isaak  Walton:  "And  to  that 
end,  some  use  a  wheel  about  the  middle  of  the  rod, 
or  near  the  hand;  which  is  to  be  observed  better  by 
seeing  one  of  them,  than  by  a  large  demonstration 
of  words."  Presumably  Walton  had  no  personal 
knowledge  of  the  "wheel,"  otherwise  he  would  have 
been  more  explicit  In  his  description.  This  first 
winch  was  undoubtedly  after  the  fashion  of  the 
"Nottingham  reel,"  still  used  In  England,  a  large 
disk  of  wood  with  a  grooved  outer  edge  to  contain 
the  line ;  simple  and  efficient  for  the  work  for  which 

36 


THE  CASTING  REEL  37 

it  was  Intended,  fly  fishing.  To-day  the  single  action 
reel  has  diminished  In  size  and  is  made  of  many  ma- 
terials, but  still  it  follows  closely  the  pattern  of  the 
first  winch  produced.  From  the  very  nature  of  the 
case  this  Is  bound  to  be  true.  Little  Is  required  of 
the  fly  fisherman's  reel,  ordinarily  it  is  but  a  spool  on 
which  the  line  is  stored,  so  obviously  no  great  de- 
velopment may  be  expected,  no  radical  changes 
looked  for. 

The  Invention  of  the  multiplying  reel,  the  casting 
reel,  per  se,  was  coincident  with  the  discovery  of  the 
black-bass  as  a  sporting  asset.  As  the  short  rod  was 
born  to  meet  new  fishing  conditions,  so  the  multiply- 
ing reel  was  produced  to  satisfy  the  demand  for 
something  different  to  meet  the  wiles  of  a  fish  that 
fought  differently,  coyld  be  taken  with  different 
methods. 

The  multiplying  reel  was  born  down  in  "the  blue 
grass  country"  In  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  Probably  Mr.  George  Snyder,  of  Paris, 
Ky.,  produced  the  first  double  multiplying  reel  be- 
tween the  years  18 10  and  1840,  a  crude  creation 
when  compared  to  a  modern  Meek  or  Talbot,  but 
in  mechanism  of  small  pinion  and  larger  cog-wheel, 
essentially  what  the  latest  reel  is.  Mr.  Snyder  was 
president  of  the  Bourbon  County  Angling  Club,  and 
when  not  attending  to  his  duties  of  presiding  officer 
or  engaged  In  his  favorite  occupation,  angling,  he 
applied  himself  to  his  trade,  that  of  silversmith  and 


38       CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

expert  watchmaker.  Naturally  he  first  made  a  reel 
for  his  own  use,  improving  upon  the  winch  as  he 
discovered  need  for  improvement  In  actual  fishing. 
So  the  multiplying  reel  Is  a  fisherman's  discovery,  as 
is  every  piece  of  tackle  which  stands  the  test  of  time. 

When  Snyder's  reel  was  all  but  perfect  his  friends 
were  attracted  by  Its  value  as  an  aid  to  sport,  and  we 
find  the  inventor  holding  the  honorable  position  of 
reel-maker  to  the  Bourbon  County  Angling  Club. 
Some  of  Snyder's  early  reels  are  still  in  existence  and 
disclose  a  loving  care  and  intimate  knowledge  of 
tools  worthy  of  emulation.  Casting  from  the  reel 
with  artificial  lures  was  undreamed  of  In  those  days, 
Snyder's  reel  being  produced  for  live  bait  fishing 
only,  though  it  was  but  a  step  from  live  bait  casting 
to  throwing  artificial  lures.  In  some  respects,  judged 
ty  modern  standards,  these  early  reels  are  crude,  the 
plates  being  riveted  in  position,  the  drag  and  click 
cumbersome,  the  shaft  projecting  through  the  head 
and  tall  plate,  the  barrel  much  longer  than  those  in 
use  to-day.  However,  the  multiplying  reel  had 
arrived. 

Another  man  to  turn  his  attention  to  reel  making 
was  Mr.  J.  F.  Meek,  who  appeared  In  Frankfort, 
Ky.,  about  1833,  improving  the  Snyder  reel  by 
operating  the  dick  and  drag  with  sliding  buttons, 
placing  a  collar  around  the  crank  shaft,  and  elim- 
inating the  protruding  spool-shaft.  In  Louisville, 
Ky.,  in  1843,  ^  "^^^  by  the  name  of  J.  W.  Hardman 


THE  CASTING  REEL  39 

began  making  reels  for  black-bass  fishermen,  and 
under  his  expert  hand  it  may  be  asserted  that  the 
modern  ''Kentucky  reel"  took  shape.  Mr.  Hard- 
man  shortened  the  spool,  fastened  the  head  and  tail- 
plate  to  the  pillars  with  screws  instead  of  rivets,  and 
Increased  the  diameter  of  the  spool,  not  to  mention 
scroll  work  and  ornamentation.  Another  name  to 
be  reckoned  with  in  connection  with  the  production 
of  the  wodern  casting  winch  is  that  of  Mr.  Benjamin 
C.  Milam,  who  in  1836  became  an  apprentice  to 
Mr.  J.  F.  Meek,  soon  taking  charge  of  the  reel 
making  industry  of  the  firm.  Later  on,  in  connec- 
tion with  his  son,  we  find  him  making  reels  under  his 
own  name.  There  are  other  individuals  who  should 
be  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  early  history  of 
the  multiplying  reel,  but  in  so  brief  a  resume  it  is  out 
of  the  question.  There  is  one  outstanding  fact,  how- 
ever, which  even  the  careless  reader  will  not  fail  to 
note,  i.  e.,  the  important  place  the  Blue  Grass  coun- 
try plays  in  the  development  of  the  casting  reel;  but 
this  is  as  it  should  be,  for  it  was  from  the  south- 
eastern portion  of  the  United  States  that  the  type- 
specimens  of  both  species  of  black-bass  were  secured. 

MECHANISM  AND  MATERIAL 

The  mechanism  of  the  multiplying  reel  is  very 
simple.  The  reel  handle  is  not  fixed  directly  to  the 
spindle,  as  is  the  case  with  the  single  action,  but 
connects  with  a  cog-wheel  geared  upon  a  smaller 


40        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

pinion  at  the  end  of  the  spool-shaft,  so  that  one  rev- 
olution of  the  crank  produces  two,  three,  four  or  six 
revolutions  of  the  spool,  depending  upon  the  num- 
ber of  teeth  in  the  wheels.  The  gearing  is  placed 
within  the  two  plates  forming  the  head  of  the  reel, 
while  the  click  and  drag  are  usually  attached  to  the 
inner  surface  of  the  tail-plate.  That  click  and  drag 
should  be  adjustable,  goes  without  saying.  It  seems 
almost  superfluous  to  make  such  a  statement,  yet  I 
have  seen  anglers  attempting  to  cast  while  the  click 
screamed  in  agony,  a  sure  way  to  ruin  even  the  best 
reel.  In  playing  a  fish,  slip  on  the  click  if  you  so  de- 
sire, though  personally  I  seldom  use  it  even  then. 
In  trolling  you  will  probably  need  both  click  and 
drag  to  prevent  the  reel  from  releasing  line.  The 
click  consists  of  a  bit  of  U-shaped  watch  spring  en- 
gaging with  a  pinion  on  the  rear  spindle. 

Various  materials  are  used  in  the  manufacture  of 
reels, — nickel,  hard  rubber,  German  silver,  alumi- 
num, etc.,  though  probably  the  best  all  'round  mate- 
rial is  German  silver.  I  make  no  mention  of  brass; 
by  no  means  invest  in  a  brass  reel,  whatever  the 
price  it  will  not  be  worth  it.  Nickel  is  good  but 
not  sufficiently  durable,  soon  tarnishes  and  becomes 
unsightly.  Hard  rubber  alone  for  head  and  tail 
plates  is  too  fragile,  in  combination  with  German 
silver  makes  a  beautiful  winch,  but  requires  careful 
handling.  Aluminum,  so  far  as  I  have  experimented 
with  it,  is  too  soft,  bends  easily  and  mars  In  service. 


THE  CASTING  REEL  41 

More  than  once  I  have  found  an  aluminum  reel 
liors  de  combat  when  taken  from  its  case,  bent  in 
transit.  So  we  return  to  the  statement  made  but  a 
moment  ago,  the  best  all  'round  material  is  undoubt- 
edly German  silver.  All  pinions,  bearings,  in  fact, 
all  working  parts  should  be  of  finest  tempered  steel 
if  the  winch  is  to  render  lasting  service. 

Which  brings  us  naturally  to  the  matter  of  jeweled 
bearings.  Undoubtedly  well  fitted  jewels  add  to  the 
life  and  free  action  of  a  reel,  and  is  not,  therefore,  a 
mere  fad  as  some  seem  to  think.  Personally  I  be- 
lieve the  lengthened  service  more  than  compensates 
for  the  added  cost.  Naturally  the  ''jewels"  should 
be  evenly  set  and  accurately  ground  or  the  spool 
will  not  run  true  and  disaster  result.  When  a  jewel 
cracks,  and  I  am  told  that  they  sometimes  do,  it 
must  be  immediately  repaired  or  the  reel  will  be 
speedily  ruined.  Fortunately  ordinarily  the  jewels 
are  set  In  screw-off  oil  caps  and  it  Is  an  easy  matter 
to  replace  them.  In  this  connection  It  Is  well  to  add 
that  at  least  one  reputable  reel  maker  Is  producing 
winches  without  jewels,  claiming  that  the  phosphor- 
bronze  bearings  used  by  him  are  more  durable  and 
altogether  as  satisfactory.  Undoubtedly  phosphor- 
bronze  bushings  offer  a  smooth  surface  for  the  spool 
journals  but  I  have  yet  to  be  convinced  that  the  end- 
thrust  should  not  be  supported  by  jeweled  spool- 
journals.  If  you  can  afford  It,  by  all  means  purchase 
a  sapphire  mounted  reel. 


42       CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

Anent  this  question  of  price,  what  was  said  regard- 
ing rod  mountings  in  the  former  chapter  should  be 
repeated  here.  It  is  not  the  part  of  wisdom  to  add 
ornamentation  to  ornamentation  just  for  the  sake 
of  producing  an  expensive  reel.  Utility  and  dura- 
bility should  always  take  first  place.  When  one 
takes  into  consideration  the  amount  of  work  per- 
formed by  a  reel  in  a  single  morning's  casting  he 
will  understand  why  the  very  best  of  material  must 
enter  into  its  construction.  It  is  not  necessary  that  a 
reel  should  whirl  forever  and  a  day  when  the  handle 
is  started,  indeed  that  very  characteristic  may  be 
productive  of  back-lashes,  and  a  source  of  untold 
anguish  to  the  beginner.  All  that  is  required  of  a 
reel  is  that  it  should  be  well  made,  constructed  of 
durable  material,  German  silver  and  the  best  of  finely 
tempered  steel,  with  sufficient  room  between  the 
plates  for  thumbing;  to  that  end  it  is  a  good  idea  to 
select  a  reel  with  a  somewhat  large  spool,  winding 
the  casting  line  upon  a  core  of  cheaper  "filler,"  thus 
will  the  angler  build  up  a  broader  resting  place  for 
his  thumb,  saving  wear  and  tear  upon  that  valuable 
member.  I  know  of  good  reels  that  can  be  secured 
for  three  dollars  and  have  some  in  my  collection 
that  cost  more  than  ten  times  as  much,  but  the  three 
dollar  reel,  in  the  hands  of  a  caster  who  understands 
the  ways  of  bass  and  knows  how  to  handle  his  outfit, 
will  catch  as  many  fish  as  the  more  expensive  winch. 

There  are  just  two  important  operations  in  cast- 


THE  CASTING  REEL  43 

ing,  so  far  as  the  reel  Is  concerned,  "thumbing" 
and  "spooling."  Naturally  American  inventiveness 
has  sought  to  obviate  the  "human  element"  in  both 
operations,  making  them  purely  mschanlcal;  as  a 
result  we  have  the  "self-thumbing"  and  "automatic- 
spooling"  winches.  However,  making  casting  a  sim- 
ple mechanical  operation  Is  not  wholly  satisfactory. 
Well  says  Mr.  Samuel  G.  Camp,  in  "Fishing  Kits 
and  Equipment" :  "It  seems  to  me  that  there  would 
not  be  much  sport  in  using  a  self-aiming  rifle  or  an 
auto-striking  trout  fly,  and  that  there  would  be  very 
little  more  enjoyment  in  using  a  self-thumbing  reel." 

It  hardly  seems  necessary  to  assert  that  there  is 
more  true  enjoyment  In  learning  to  handle  a  regular 
winch,  one  that  must  be  thumbed  properly  and  upon 
which  the  line  must  be  laid  with  care,  than  can  be 
derived  from  the  use  of  a  reel  which  does  all  the 
work  automatically;  however,  it  is  not  the  part  of 
wisdom  to  turn  down  every  mechanical  aid,  nor 
taboo  all  who  use  them.  The  man  who  has  time  and 
patience  to  master  the  thumbing  of  a  casting-reel 
will  have  little  use  for  the  self-thumber,  though  the 
man  who  goes  fishing  only  once  or  twice  a  year,  yet 
desires  to  cast  "a  la  mode,"  will  find  such  a  winch  a 
veritable  godsend.  But  more  regarding  self-thumb- 
ers  later  on. 

While  for  ordinary  fishing  I  do  not  employ  a  self- 
thumber,  I  have  one  automatic-spooler  which  is  a 
favorite  winch,  so  I  am  not  consistent  in  the  matter 


44        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

of  mechanical  aids.  Aside  from  the  "free-spools," 
reels  in  which  by  an  ingenious  arrangement  the  spool 
is  freed  from  the  handle  at  the  will  of  the  operator, 
we  have  many  special  reels,  winches  which  well 
might  be  denominated  *'freak  reels,"  of  questionable 
value  and  seldom  of  lasting  merit.  Each  season,  al- 
most, some  inventor  produces  a  new  reel,  something 
which  he  fondly  believes  is  going  to  revolutionize 
casting  and  reel  manufacture,  but  usually  in  a  few 
months  the  invention  is  forgotten.  Always  I  am, 
like  all  anglers,  interested  in  these  freaks,  and  en- 
joy trying  them  out,  but  I  much  doubt  their  perma- 
nent value.  Personally  I  believe  that  the  old  tried 
and  true  type  of  reel  is  the  best  all  around  winch  for 
the  caster  who  wishes  to  become  master  of  rod  and 
lure. 

ARISTOCRATIC  REELS 

Before  I  take  up  the  discussion  of  special  types 
I  wish  to  pause  for  a  moment  to  consider  what  I  am 
pleased  to  term  ^'aristocratic  reels,"  such  manifest 
blue  bloods  are  they. 

Some  anglers  seem  to  imagine  that  these  high 
grade  reels  are  produced  to  sell  simply,  that  they 
are  In  nowise  better  tools  than  those  selling  at  a 
much  lower  figure;  in  other  words,  it  is  the  name 
upon  the  head-plate  that  makes  the  price.  Once  let 
a  fair  minded  caster  examine  one  of  these  high  class 
reels,  put  it  on  his  rod  and  cast  a  few  times,  and  he 


THE  CASTING  REEL  45 

will  never  again  make  the  assertion  that  it  is  the 
name  only  which  adds  to  the  cost  of  the  reel.  There 
is  as  much  difference  between  the  action  of  a  well 
built,  artistically  finished  quadruple  multiplier,  cost- 
ing from  $20.00  up  to  $50.00,  and  the  $3.00  reel, 
say,  as  there  is  between  a  double-tapered  fly-casting 
line  and  an  unenameled  ^'twisted  fish  line.'* 

A  friend  of  mine  one  day  picked  up  one  of  my 
high-class  reels — he  is  one  of  the  fellows  who  has 
always  considered  a  $6.00  winder  good  enough  for 
any  man  no  matter  how  rich — well,  he  spun  the  reel 
two  or  three  times,  held  it  up  to  his  ear  and  listened 
to  its  even,  rythmic  purr,  then  turned  It  over  and 
over  in  his  hand.  "Hum,"  he  said,  **had  your  name 
engraved  on  it,  I  see."  Hesitated,  looked  at  me  em- 
barassedly  once  or  twice,  awkwardly  asked  the  loan 
of  a  casting-rod  and  disappeared  in  the  direction  of 
the  back-yard.  When  he  returned,  he  lay  the  beauti- 
ful thing  down  reverently  and  remarked  concisely, 
^'Darned  If  it  ain't  worth  every  cent  It  cost!"  I  am 
positive  that  any  fair-minded  rodster,  after  experi- 
mentation, would  agree  with  the  findings  of  my 
friend. 

Having  said  all  this  Is  defense  of  the  aristocratic 
winders,  I  must  hasten  to  reiterate  what  I  have  said 
again  and  again  in  this  work  and  in  the  outdoor 
press  generally,  it  is  the  angler  and  not  the  winch  that 
counts.  In  spite  of  the  impression  which  I  may  leave 
to  the  contrary,  getting  men  Into  the  open,  in  touch 


46        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

with  the  Spirit  of  the  Out  o'doors,  is  my  aim,  rather 
than  merely  to  impart  tackle  knowledge. 

There  are  reels  costing  $3.00,  plain  every-day 
winches,  that  I  would  not  be  ashamed  to  use  in  the 
presence  of  any  angler,  no  matter  how  perfectly  and 
expensively  accoutered  he  might  be.  It  is  not  nec- 
essary to  pay  an  exorbitant  price  in  order  to  get  a 
good  reel,  but  if  you  wish  to  secure  the  last  word  in 
reel  construction  and  finish,  you  must  expect  to  pay 
the  careful  workman  for  his  time  and  skill.  I  do 
not  consider  a  $3.00  reel  a  ''cheap  winch,"  simply, 
a  "low-priced  one."  There  is  a  nice  distinction  be- 
tween cheap  and  low-priced.  It  is  possible  to  se- 
cure a  good  nickel  reel  for  $3.00,  and  German  silver 
winches  of  worth  and  value  in  the  neighborhood  of 
$6.00. 

Do  not  think  for  one  moment  that  you  are  one 
whit  more  an  angler  because  you  can  afford  to  put 
$30.00  or  $50.00  into  a  reel,  than  though  you  were 
compelled  by  stern  necessity  to  buy  a  sixty-cent  de- 
partment store  winder.  I  will  fish  with  you,  if  you 
will  fish  with  me,  no  matter  what  your  tackle,  provid- 
ing you  play  fair,  give  the  bass  a  chance  for  his  life, 
and  are  in  rapport  with  Nature.  While  I  love  fine 
tackle,  urge  it  upon  all  who  can  afford  it,  I  desire 
that  you  always  remember  I  am  not  "knocking"  the 
low-priced  articles. 

Why  should  I  disparage  the  medium  and  low- 
priced  reels,  pray?     For  every  angler  using  a  reel 


THE  CASTING  REEL  47 

costing  $30.00,  there  are  a  hundred  men  casting 
with  winches  that  cost  much  less.  Even  though  you 
can  afford  it  I  would  not  advise  you  to  buy  an  expen- 
sive winder  before  you  have  learned  how  to  cast  and 
how  to  care  for  a  reel.  Neither  would  I  subject  a 
fine  reel  to  the  hard  service  sometimes  demanded 
of  them  in  new  country  or  upon  a  rough  trip ;  do  not 
take  me  as  intimating  that  these  "aristocratic  win- 
ches" will  not  stand  up  under  grief;  they  will,  but 
they  are  too  good  to  be  so  treated.  That  there  is  a 
logical  place  for  the  low-priced  reels  is  admitted  by 
all  manufacturers  of  high  grade  tackle:  witness  the 
medium  priced  reels  upon  the  market  bearing  such 
names  as  "Meek"  and  "Milam,"  names  that  we  as- 
sociate in  our  minds  with  only  that  which  is  best  and 
most  expensive.  Always  the  angler  progresses  from 
the  low-priced  reel  to  the  more  expensive  and  per- 
fect grades  if  he  can  afford  to  do  so,  if  not  he  re- 
mains a  user  of  the  low-priced  reel  to  the  end  of  his 
angling  days,  satisfied  and  well  content.  My  pur- 
pose is  not  to  disturb  his  self-content,  or  make  him 
envious.  The  more  low-priced  reels  in  use,  the  more 
men  there  will  be  evolving  towards  the  better 
winches. 

There  is  no  joy  quite  equal  to  that  of  possession. 
Confucius  was  right:  "The  secret  of  life  is  In  the 
possessive  pronouns."  To  own  a  good  reel,  ah,  that 
is  the  dream  of  every  angler  once  he  becomes  en- 
amoured with  casting.     It  may  be  years  before  he 


48        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

realizes  his  ambitions,  but  realize  them  he  will  if  he 
be  the  right  sort  of  a  man.  Somewhere  I  have  said 
that  a  true  angler  will  cut  out  cigars  if  necessary  in 
order  to  secure  a  winch  of  quality.  The  average 
rodster  spends  enough  foolishly  each  season  to  pur- 
chase a  fine  reel  If  he  really  desires  one.  Then,  too, 
our  grade  of  tackle  measures  our  infatuation,  and 
our  understanding  of  the  attractivity  of  angling. 
Have  I  not  always  said  that  it  is  the  individual  soul, 
if  you  please,  that  counts?  Now  I  desire  to. say  that 
there  is  no  joy  to  which  the  angler  is  heir,  more  deep 
and  lasting  than  the  possession  of  good  tackle.  There 
is  satisfaction  in  just  handling  the  perfect  reel,  espe- 
cially while  the  wild  blizzards  rage  about  the  house, 
caressing  the  highly  polished  surface  with  a  soft 
flannel  cloth  touched  with  oil,  now  and  then  striking 
the  handle  so  that  the  whirling  spool  may  sing  Its 
low  siren  song.  The  angler  has  never  seen  a  reel 
spin  until  he  has  handled  one  made  by  an  experienced 
workman  with  time  to  burn  and  not  thinking  of  re- 
tall  price.  Elsewhere  I  have  told  of  buying  a  reel 
for  posterity,  and  it  Is  not  only  possible  but  feasible, 
well  worth  the  sober  consideration  of  any  lover  of 
the  gentle  art.  Think  of  placing  an  engraved  reel 
in  the  hands  of  an  angling  son  or  daughter,  with  the 
admonition  to  care  for  It  as  you  have  cared  for  it,  to 
treat  It  as  you  have  treated  it,  and  In  the  end  hand 
it  on  to  the  rising  generation.    To  will  a  winch,  and 


K 


ARISTOCRATIC  WINCHES 

Upper  "Meek." 
Lower  "MUam." 


THE  CASTING  REEL  49 

the  high  things  good  tackle  stands  for,  is  something 
more  than  a  tackle  lover's  fad. 

Lest  you  think  that  all  the  joy  of  good  tackle  is 
that  of  possession  I  have  only  to  remind  you  that  in 
casting  tournaments  it  Is  the  reels  of  worth  and 
quality  that  carry  off  all  the  prizes.  I  have  said  that 
one  should  not  subject  a  high  grade  reel  to  unneces- 
sary hardship,  but  once  you  have  seen  the  accurately 
ground  winch  in  action  you  will  appreciate  what  lov- 
ing care  and  expert  skill  can  do  in  the  way  of  reel 
construction.  In  the  hands  of  a  tyro  the  ease  with 
which  some  of  the  high-class  winches  spin  would 
prove  a  serious  drawback,  he  would  be  back-lashing 
all  the  time.  But  having  learned  how  to  handle  a 
reel — that  takes  time,  can  not  be  accomplished  over 
inight — then  use  a  winch  bearing  a  name  whichr 
stands  for  quality  and  the  rodster  will  find  a  new 
zest  in  bass  casting.  Naturally  I  do  not  recommend 
any  given  winch;  what  particular  reel  to  use  is  a  mat-, 
ter  for  the  individual  angler  to  determine  for  him- 
self. My  only  advise  is,  pay  as  much  for  this  sec- 
ond winch  as  you  possibly  can  afford,  and  the  word 
of  my  experience  for  it,  you  will  never  regret  the 
outlay.  Call  the  expensive  reel  a  luxury  If  you  will 
— I  am  not  altogether  sure  It  is  that — it  will  prove 
one  of  the  most  satisfactory  investments  of  a  life- 
time. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  best  arguments  for  an  expen- 
sive reel  Is  that  when  a  man  pays  $20.00  or  more  for 


50       CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

a  winder  he  naturally  takes  better  care  of  it  than 
when  he  pays  only  $2.25.  This  should  not  be  so, 
the  cheap  reel  is  deserving  of  as  much  care  as  the 
more  expensive  winch,  will  last  enough  longer  to  pay 
for  the  little  time  and  attention  expended.  How- 
ever, the  man  who  abuses  a  cheap  reel  will  never 
think  of  treating  an  expensive  one  with  disrespect. 
All  in  all  there  are  more  arguments  in  favor  of  good 
winches  than  can  be  marshalled  against  them.  So 
I  urge  my  readers  to  invest — that  is  the  word,  "in- 
vest" in — do  not  buy  simply — an  aristocratic  winch, 
as  good  as  you  can  afford.  Following  my  admoni- 
tion, caring  for  the  reel,  some  day  you  will  thank  me 
for  the  advice.  Perhaps  Henry  John  Doe,  in  the 
years  to  come,  will  write  my  descendants  thanking 
them  for  these  words. 

Having  said  so  much  in  favor  of  good  tackle  we 
are  ready  to  continue  the  discussion  of  the  various 
types  of  special  reels,  and  will  turn  our  attention  to 
the  free-spools  first  of  all. 

FREE-SPOOL  REELS 

In  the  foregoing  pages  I  have  barely  mentioned 
the  free-spools  though  they  deserve  a  section  to 
themselves.  As  was  pointed  out,  the  idea  of  the 
free-spool  is  simple  in  the  extreme,  the  handle  does 
not  revolve  in  making  a  cast,  so  doing  away  with  the 
menace  of  the  balance  handle,  the  "trouble  maker." 
With  the  free-spool  greater  distance  can  be  acquired 


THE  CASTING  REEL  51 

and  back-lashes  will  be  largely  minimized.  It  is  the 
inertia  of  the  mechanism  of  a  reel  which  retards  the 
line  at  the  beginning  of  the  .cast,  and  the  momentum 
of  the  heavy  handle,  after  it  has  been  teased  into 
action,  that  causes  back-lashes.  In  ordinary  reels 
almost  one-half  the  caster's  energy  Is  expended  in 
starting  the  spool  which  is  burdened  with  the  weight 
and  Inertia  of  the  connecting  handle ;  as  a  result  the 
speed  of  the  out-going  line  is  retarded  at  first,  and 
though  the  balance  handle  in  motion  acts  as  a  sort 
of  fly  wheel,  the  line  never  regains  the  lost  energy. 
In  a  word,  the  spool  revolves  faster  than  the  lure  can 
draw  out  line,  and  an  over-run  and  back-lash  results. 
Naturally  one  would  suppose  that  to  eliminate  the 
balance  handle  would  be  to  obviate  two-thirds  of  the 
back-lashes,  and  perhaps  It  would  if  all  else  were 
equal. 

When  the  angler  accustomed  to  the  ordinary  reel 
attempts  to  cast  with  a  free-spool  he  surprises  him- 
self with  a  back-lash  at  the  very  commencement  pf 
the  cast,  so  easily  does  the  spool  spring  into  action, 
though  of  course  that  very  fact  prolongs  the  cast. 
Then,  too,  the  free  running  spool  reduces  jar  and 
vibration  to  the  lowest  possible  degree,  the  reel  is 
hardly  "felt;"  which  is  in  itself  provocative  of  back- 
lashes until  the  caster  learns  to  handle  the  winch. 
I  think  I  am  safe  In  saying  there  are  fewer  good  cas- 
ters with  the  free-spool  than  with  the  old  type  of 
reel,  that  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  greater  dis- 


52       CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

tance  can  be  acquired  with  the  latter  winch.  I  am 
not  altogether  sure  but  that  the  free-spool  requires 
greater  skill  upon  the  part  of  the  angler. 

When  this  type  of  reel  first  came  to  the  fishing 
fraternity,  the  spool  was  thrown  in  and  out  of  gear 
by  means  of  a  lever,  push-button,  or  thumb-rest,  and 
the  angler  was  always  forgetting  to  engage  the 
handle  when  the  fish  struck;  the  result  being  that  he 
cranked  to  beat  the  cars,  while  the  fish  continued  to 
strip  line  from  the  reel.  My  first  reel  of  the  type 
had  a  little  lever  on  the  front  bar  which  the  thumb 
pressed  unconsciously  in  thumbing.  It  was  and  is  a 
good  reel  too,  though  an  angler  in  the  next  county 
might  think  that  an  old  fashioned  horse-power 
threshing  machine  was  in  operation,  judging  from 
the  noise.  My  second  has  a  lever  on  the  head  which 
must  be  pushed  forward  to  engage  and  back  to  free; 
as  a  result  I  am  compelled  to  think  of  the  reel  rather 
than  the  fish  when  casting  for  bass.  My  third  has  an 
ingenious  arrangement  by  which  the  spool  is  freed 
automatically  in  the  beginning  of  the  cast,  and  re- 
engaged by  pressing  In  on  the  handle.  All  the  caster 
has  to  do  is  to  remember  when  he  wishes  to  spool 
line  is  to  press  In  upon  the  handle,  but  nine  times  out 
of  ten  he  will  forget  that  Important  matter.  When 
I  wish  to  enjoy  a  good  laugh  I  loan  that  reel  to  a 
fishing  companion;  what  the  average  caster  will  do — 
and  say- — when  the  bass  are  rising  freely  Is  passing 
belief.     No  sight  Is  more  mirth-provoking  than  to 


THE  CASTING  REEL  53 

watch  the  other  fellow  crank  away  for  dear  life 
while  the  bass  of  the  day  is  stripping  valuable  line 
from  the  reel. 

To-day,  however,  if  you  wish  a  free-spool  you  can 
secure  one  without  a  lever  or  push  button  of  any  sort. 
Absolutely  automatic  and  dependable.  When  the 
rod  is  brought  down  in  the  first  motion  of  the  cast 
the  spool  is  free,  a  single  turn  of  the  handle  re- 
engaging it.  It  would  seem  that  nothing  further  can 
be  desired.  The  price  is  not  prohibitive,  $5.00  will 
secure  a  reel  good  enough  for  the  average  caster, 
and  if  you  have  more  filthy  lucre  to  spend,  then 
$10.00  or  $15.00  will  add  sapphires  and  ornamen- 
tation. About  $30.00  will  bring  you  the  last  word 
in  free-spools,  a  reel  beautiful  enough  and  perfect 
enough  to  find  a  resting  place  in  a  display  case, 
but  a  tool  built  for  service. 

No,  to-day,  if  the  caster  desires  a  free-spool  there 
is  no  reason  under  the  sun  why  a  good  one  should 
not  find  place  in  his  tackle-box.  Yet  there  seems  to 
be  something  of  a  prejudice  against  this  class  of 
reels  in  the  minds  of  practical  anglers,  one  seldom 
sees  them  in  actual  use,  and  I  am  not  recommending 
them  to  Tom,  Dick,  and  Harry,  though  as  to  just 
why  I  am  not,  I  am  not  altogether  clear.  Mani- 
festly and  confessedly,  they  are  all  the  reel-makers 
claim. 

When  the  line  snarls  upon  the  reel,  even  though 
it  is  not  a  back-lash — some  will  never  confess  to  that 


54        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

— unless  the  caster  proceeds  to  untangle  it  with  ut- 
most care  and  caution,  he  may  be  compelled  to  take 
his  reel  to  pieces  in  order  to  save  the  line.  I  once 
saw  an  exasperated  caster  go  at  a  fine  new  line  with 
his  jack-knife,  and  what  was  left  of  that  "King- 
fisher" when  he  got  through  with  it  was  not  worth 
talking  about. 

The  taking  apart  of  a  screwed  reel  is  something 
to  be  undertaken  only  where  the  small  screws  cannot 
drop  and  be  lost  and  the  angler  can  not  hear  the 
rising  fish  splash.  No  real  angler  will  fish  with  a 
dirty  reel;  should  the  winch  fall  Into  the  sand  it 
should  be  laid  religiously  aside  until  occasion  offers 
an  opportunity  for  a  thorough  cleaning.  (See  close 
of  chapter  for  advise  upon  caring  for  the  reel.) 
Realizing  the  importance  and  necessity  for  an  easy- 
apart  frame,  a  number  of  makers  have  produced 
take-down  reels  of  merit.  I  think  the  Meisselbach's, 
of  Newark,  N.  J.,  were  pioneers  in  this  field,  their 
"Triparts"  and  "Take-a-parts,"  being  the  acme  of 
simplicity  and  durability.  The  end  bands  screw  off 
with  a  left  hand  thread,  allowing  the  spool  to  fall 
out  unhindered.  I  know  of  no  better  medium-priced 
reel  upon  the  market  Both  reels  may  be  secured  in 
the  free-spool  style,  also  at  a  slightly  increased  price. 
The  Meeks,  too,  provide  a  take-apart  frame,  in 
which  the  tail-piece  screws  off  with  a  left-hand 
thread.  Like  the  Meisselbach  reel,  a  tubular  frame 
is  employed.    One  need  not  say  the  Meek  Is  a  good 


THE  CASTING  REEL  55 

winch;  the  name  is  a  sufficient  guarantee.  There  are 
other  take-downs  upon  the  market,  one  I  possess 
being  separated  by  removing  the  oil  caps  at  either 
end.  When  one  can  secure  such  quality  reels  as 
these  at  the  modest  outlay  required  there  is  no  ex- 
cuse for  employing  a  "tin"  winch  or  brass  winder. 

SELF-THUMBERS 

Perhaps  no  class  of  reels  have  come  in  for  more 
criticism  and  ridicule  than  the  self-thumbers,  in  spite 
of  which  the  sales  have  gone  on  increasing  from  year 
to  year.  As  I  have  already  remarked,  for  the  man 
with  ample  time  at  his  ^disposal,  there  is  nothing 
quite  so  satisfactory  as  mastering  the  gentle  art  of 
reel-thumbing;  you  may  not  become  proficient  with 
the  regular  reel  over  night;  weeks  of  practice  is  re- 
quired. No  man  lives  who  does  not  upon  occasion 
manufacture  a  back-lash,  in  comparison  with  which 
the  famous  Chinese  puzzle  is  as  a  straight  string. 

The  anti-back  lash  or  self-thumbing  reel  does  to  a 
great  extent  eliminate  backlashes.  I  have  already 
said  the  automatic  thumbers  are  for  a  class  of  ang- 
lers who  have  but  little  time  to  devote  to  casting  and 
must  become  more  or  less  proficient  In  the  shortest 
possible  time.  With  the  automatic  thumber  the 
average  man  can,  after  an  hour's  practice,  cast  his- 
40  or  50  feet  without  backlashing  as  often  as  does 
the  old  hand  with  regular  reel.  Indeed,  the  careful 
man  will  all  but  eliminate  back-lashes. 


56       CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

More  and  more  night  fishing  for  bass  is  coming 
into  popular  favor;  here  the  self  thumber  is  a  mani- 
fest advantage,  and  when  used  in  combination  with 
the  self-spooling  devise,  is  the  ideal  winch.  (See 
*'The  Self-spoolers.")  That  there  is  room  for  the 
self-thumber,  even  in  the  tackle-box  of  the  old  hand, 
we  must  concede.  In  spite  of  Mr.  Camp's  levitious 
remark  regarding  the  ^'self-aiming  rifle"  and  "auto- 
striking  trout  fly,"  anglers  will  go  on  buying  and 
using  reels  that  do  everything  but  hook  the  fish. 
In  the  type  of  reel  under  discussion  there  are  two 
deserving  of  mention,  indeed  I  have  used  no  others, 
these  two  seeming  to  combine  all  the  e.ccellent  fea- 
tures required.  We  can  devote  but  a  brief  para- 
graph to  each  reel,  but  will  give  the  makers  names 
and  addresses,  so  if  the  reader  is  interested  he  can 
secure  information  direct. 

One  of  the  best  and  most  favorably  known  is  the 
so-called  "Anti-Back-Lash  Casting  Reel,"  made  by 
the  South  Bend  Bait  Co.,  South  Bend,  Ind.  As  will 
be  readily  discovered,  the  South  Bend  reel  is  a 
beautiful  winch,  following  the  symmetrical  lines  of 
the  American  quadruples;  while  devoid  of  orna- 
mentation, this  reel  is  possessed  of  a  severe  beauty 
peculiarly  its  own.  The  material  is  that  best  of  all 
'reel  metals,  German  silver,  highly  polished.  The 
spool  and  gear  journals  are  of  the  best  tool  steel, 
running  in  phosphor-bronze  bushings,  while  the  end- 


I 


TAKE-A-PARTS— FOR  THE  MOST  PART 

1.  Rediper.  Self-Thumber.  ,    ^  4.    Rediper.  Tournament. 

2.  Hunter.  Free-spool.    (.One  of  the  first  free-spools.)  5.    Meek,  Easy-a-part. 

3.  Take-a-part.  6.    Tripart. 


THE  CASTING  REEL  57 

thrust  is  supported  by  jeweled  end-caps  of  special 
pattern. 

However,  it  is  as  a  self-thumber  that  we  are  par- 
ticularly interested  in  the  winch.  Let  me  quote  from 
one  of  the  firm's  trade  circulars :  "It  is  just  like  any 
other  finely  made  reel,  being  the  product  of  the 
highest  efficiency  in  the  mechanical  jeweler's  art. 
The  tiny,  almost  unnoticeable  stiffened  wire  which 
thumbs  the  reel  automatically  Is  contained  within  the 
reel.  This  hidden  mechanism  is  itself  controlled  by 
a  knurled  adjusting  screw-cap.  The  breaking  effect 
is  adjustable  in  a  moment,  entirely  without  the  use 
of  tools,  to  suit  any  weight  of  bait." 

The  thumbing  devise  Is  the  acme  of  simplicity. 
In  assembling  the  tackle  for  fishing,  the  reel  is 
threaded  as  per  accompanying  instructions,  the  line 
passed  out  through  the  guides,  lure  attached,  and 
tension-screw  adjusted  so  that  a  jar  will  tease  line 
from  the  spool.  It  will  readily  be  seen  that  different 
sized  lures  can  be  employed  with  equal  facility,  all 
that  is  required  is  to  adjust  the  tension-screw  to  dif- 
ferent weights.  At  the  beginning  of  the  cast,  the 
wire  bail  under  which  the  line  passes,  Is  lifted,  thus 
relieving  the  pressure  of  the  "human  wire,"  as  some 
one  has  called  It,  upon  the  head  of  the  spool,  the 
thumber.  As  the  lure  slows  up,  the  wire  ball  falls, 
exerting  the  requisite  pressure  upon  the  spool;  not 
too  much,  so  that  the  spool  is  stopped,  not  too  little 
so  that  an  over-run  results.     A  great  respect  will 


58       CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

be  born  in  the  caster  for  that  little  wire;  it  thumbs 
the  reel  as  perfectly  as  could  a  past-master  of  the 
art.  I  personally  have  tried  out  this  reel  under  all 
conditions  of  casting  and  have  never  found  it 
wanting. 

We  now  turn  to  a  winch  known  to  all  bass  enthu- 
siasts, the  pioneer  in  the  field,  I  believe.  The  "Red- 
ifor  Self-thumbing  Reel,"  is  just  what  its  name  im- 
plies, a  self-thumber.  A  history  of  the  development 
of  this  reel  would  not  fail  to  interest  anglers,  if  we 
could  spare  the  space  to  give  it,  beginning  as  it  does 
with  the  story  of  the  free-spool  lost  overboard  some- 
thing like  thirty  years  ago,  until  the  day  when  Fle- 
gePs  centrifugal  thumbers  were  added  and  the  reel 
came  to  be  the  perfect  winch  it  is  to-day. 

This  Flegel  thumber  is  simple  in  the  extreme,  the 
word  "centrifugal"  explaining  adequately.  A  pair 
of  little  flanges  are  attached  to  the  outer  surface 
of  the  rear  end  of  the  spool,  covered  by  the  end- 
plates,  so  invisible.  The  centrifugal  force  of  the 
spinning  spool  throws  these  flanges  out  against  the 
rim  of  the  end-plate,  governing  the  action,  of  the 
spool  absolutely  and  automatically.  There  you  have 
it,  so  simple  that  anyone  might  have  thought  it  out, 
but  so  simple  that  no  one  did.  Aside  from  the 
flanges,  the  reel  is  built  on  the  lines  of  ordinary 
quadruples.  When  one  says  that  this  is  a  beautiful, 
serviceable  and  durable  winch,  he  has  by  no  means 
said  it  all,  for  even  superlatives  would  not  be  extrav- 


THE  CASTING  REEL  59 

agant.  My  best  advice  to  anglers  is,  if  you  desire  to 
eliminate  thumbing,  investigate  these  two  reels. 

In  concluding,  let  me  say,  that  the  modern  Redifer 
reel  is  made  in  combination  with  the  Enterprise 
Mfg.  Co.,  Akron,  Ohio,  as  the  name  on  the  head- 
plate  would  indicate — "Pflueger-Redifor,"  and  can, 
I  believe,  be  secured  from  either  firm.  The  fact  of 
the  matter  is,  the  genius  of  both  firms  enter  into  the 
construction  of  the  reel;  but  if  you  desire  a  free-spool 
Redifor,  you  must  correspond  with  the  Ohio  firm. 

But  what  about  the  "no  sportsman"  allegation 
sometimes  hurled  against  those  rodsters  who  use  the 
auto  style  of  reel?  To  a  certain  type  of  mind  any 
innovation  is  unsportsmanlike.  We  all  remember 
when  the  first  pump  shot  guns  were  produced  what  a 
cry  was  raised  against  them,  no  "true  sportsman" 
would  be  guilty  of  employing  such  a  weapon  in  duck 
shooting;  again,  when  the  automatic  was  brought 
out,  the  same  note  sounded.  Now,  we  admit  that  a 
gunner  may  employ  a  pump  gun  or  automatic  if  he 
choose  and  violate  no  ethics  of  sport.  Because  an 
individual  of  porcine  proclivities,  employing  a  certain 
instrument  can  gratify  the  demands  of  his  base  na- 
ture, is  no  reason  why  a  true  sportsman  could  not 
use  the  same  instrument  rightly. 

Personally  I  can  not  understand  why  one  should 
object  to  the  newer  reels  upon  the  ground  of  sports- 
manship. What  if  they  do  do  all  the  work?  If  a 
man  does  not  want  to  spend  the  time  necessary  to  be- 


6o       CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

come  adept  with  the  regular  reel,  in  all  conscience 
let  him  use  the  self-thumber,  self-anything,  if  he  so 
desires.  The  day  is  far  past  surely,  when  tackle 
makes  a  sportsman;  true  sportsmanship  is  an  infin- 
itely finer  thing  than  a  mere  matter  of  parapher- 
nalia ;  it  is  the  controlling  spirit  of  the  man.  While, 
to  me,  there  is  more  enjoyment  in  accurately  gaug- 
ing the  speed  of  my  reel  with  a  thumb  grown  sensi- 
tive from  many  seasons  of  service,  it  is  not  for  me  to 
cry  down  the  fellow  who  finds  the  self-thumber  an 
aid  to  pleasure.  I  use  the  self-thumbing  reel  upon 
occasion,  and  am  not  ashamed  of  it,  while  a  well- 
known  self-spooler  is  amid  my  favorite  winches.  If 
you  desire  to  ^'start  something,"  just  intimate  that 
I  am  "no  sportsman." 

We  have  dealt  with  free-spools,  of  which  there 
are  several  makes  upon  the  market,  we  have  spent 
some  time  with  the  self-thumbers,  describing  at 
length  the  two  best  known  winches  of  the  type,  now 
we  turn  our  attention  to  the  self-spoolers,  those  reels 
provided  with  an  ingenious  contrivance  for  distribut- 
ing the  line  evenly  upon  the  spool. 

I  have  already  told  you  why  the  reel  back-lashes, 
indeed  I  have  enumerated  several  "whys"  but  still 
remains  the  great  cause.  Unless  the  line  be  properly 
spooled  w^hile  retrieving  the  lure,  a  back-lash  is 
bound  to  result  at  the  next  cast,  mere  thumbing  will 
not  prevent  it.  In  all  my  writing  upon  casting  I  have 
emphasized  the  importance  of  spooling  the  line  prop- 


THE  CASTING  REEL  6l 

erly,  experience  having  taught  me  that  unless  it  be 
done,  no  amount  of  casting  ability  or  thumbing  skill 
will  prevent  a  back-lash.  If  you  wish  a  demonstra- 
tion, simply  allow  the  line  to  pile  up  at  one  point, 
do  not  distribute  it  with  the  guiding  thumb  and  fore- 
finger of  the  left  hand,  until  it  topples  over  and  the 
loops  are  wound  over  by  the  Incoming  line.  You 
have  all  the  "makings"  of  a  back-lash.  Cast,  and 
discover  for  yourself.  While  experience  soon 
teaches  a  man  that  he  must  pay  minutest  attention  to 
spooling  the  line  while  playing  a  fish,  the  beginner 
forgets  to  do  so  in  the  excitement  of  the  battle,  and 
at  times  the  oldest  hand  errs,  a  slip  for  which  tyro 
and  experienced  caster  must  pay  in  bitterest  expe- 
riences. 

I  have  already  referred  to  the  growing  popularity 
of  night  fishing  and  the  advisability  of  using  an  au- 
tomatic thumber  therefor,  but  as  between  the  auto- 
matic thumber  and  self-spooler  alone,  I  would  say 
without  hesitation,  select  the  latter;  but  when  you 
can  select  a  reel  with  both  features  In  combination, 
for  that  particular  sport,  you  are  foolish  not  to  do 
so.  As  I  have  said  several  times  already,  I  enjoy 
thumbing  the  reel,  and  in  regular  daylight  fishing 
will  not  employ  a  mechanical  device  which  robs  me 
of  that  pleasure ;  but  the  matter  of  spooling  the  line 
Is,  as  the  German  said,  "A  horse  of  some  more 
color;"  when  the  spooling  attachment  does  not  in- 
terfere to  any  great  extent  with  the  cast — distance 


62        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

and  control — I  gladly  employ  it.  In  a  word,  my 
favorite  all-around  casting-reel  is  an  automatic- 
spooler.  With  such  a  reel  the  angler  is  free  to  give 
all  his  attention  to  the  cast,  and  when  the  fish  is 
hooked,  to  the  battle,  assured  the  reel  is  taking  care 
of  the  line  as  he  could  not  "by  hand." 

The  first  spooling  devises  which  attracted  my  at- 
tention were  attachments,  built  to  fit  any  reel  of 
given  dimensions;  naturally  they  were  more  or  less 
crude  and  awkward,  one,  which  I  am  under  the  im- 
pression was  never  put  on  the  market,  was  propelled 
by  a  tiny  belt  running  in  a  groved  pulley  attached  to 
the  spool  at  one  end;  if  the  belt  stayed  in  position, 
if  half  a  dozen  things  did  not  happen,  the  reel 
worked,  but  unfortunately  things  usually  happened. 
We  can  not  take  time  to  mention  the  various  crude 
productions  though  each  was  something  of  an  ad- 
vance upon  its  predecessor.  Came  at  last  the  Redi- 
for  spooler  or  winder,  which  would  fit  any  reel  with 
round  pillars  of  a  given  length.  The  line  played  out 
over  a  little  pulley,  which  was  thrown  down  in  cast- 
ing so  as  to  be  out  of  the  way,  and  up  against  the 
line  in  retrieving,  playing  back  and  forth  upon  an 
endless  screw.  It  will  be  readily  understood  that  the 
line  caused  the  pulley  to  revolve  and  so  travel  upon 
the  endless  screw,  and  when  the  pulley  was  not 
pressed  up  against  the  line  with  the  caster's  right 
hand  fore-finger  the  winder  did  not  work.     Some- 


THE  CASTING  REEL  63 

thing  for  the  caster  again  to  remember  when  he  de- 
sires to  think  only  of  the  bass. 

I  tried  out  several  attachments  all  of  which 
worked  more  or  less  successfully  to  a  greater  or  less 
degree,  but  none  were  satisfactory  to  me;  they  were 
attachments.  There  is  a  vast  difference  between  an 
attachment  and  a  level  winding  devise  built  in,  a 
component  part  of  the  reel. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  give  a  history  of  the 
Shakespeare  level-winder  and  of  the  Marhoff  inven- 
tion, similar,  save  that  the  former  employs  a  double 
propelling  screw,  while  the  latter  uses  but  one.  It 
is  a  built-in  devise,  all  mechanism  being  encased  in 
the  head  of  the  reel.  A  pinion  at  the  rear  of  the 
driving  gear  meshes  with  the  line-carriage  screw- 
pinion  which  drives  the  line-guide  back  and  forth 
along  the  endless  screw.  This  line-guide  must  travel 
whenever  the  reel  handle  is  turned;  there  is  no  dis- 
connecting or  throwing  it  out  of  gear.  It  would  seem 
that  the  double  propeller  would  be  the  stronger  reel, 
but  the  single  has  greater  line  capacity  In  the  same 
size.  On  the  inner  side  of  the  line-carriage  pawl,  is 
the  carriage-pin,  playing  in  the  endless  screw. 
Really,  it  is  all  very  simple. 

To  the  complaint  sometimes  made  that  there  is 
too  much  "trigging"  about  the  level  winder,  I  would 
say  that  I  have  used  them  for  a  number  of  years 
and  only  once  has  a  reel  gotten  out  of  order,  then  it 
^as  bent  in  transportation,  the  "baggage-smasher's" 


64       CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

fault.  The  caster  will  be  surprised  at  the  ease  with 
which  the  level-winder  works,  indeed,  seems  -to  in- 
terfere little  with  distance,  and,  after  practice,  in- 
creases casting  accuracy.  Probably  I  should  qual- 
ify that  statement  regarding  distance:  the  rodster 
will  not  be  able  to  cast  as  far  as  with  the  regular 
reel,  not  nearly  as  far  as  with  the  free-spool,  but  he 
can  cast  as  far  as  actual  fishing  necessitates,  and  with 
utmost  ease.  I  am  often  asked  regarding  the  level- 
winder's  durability  and  can  only  say  that  I  have 
used  a  single  reel  for  a  goodly  portion  of  my  casting 
during  the  last  five  years  and  it  apparently  is  in  as 
perfect  condition  to-day  as  upon  the  day  I  received 
it  from  the  Express  Company;  however,  bear  in 
mind  that  I  have  cared  for  the  winch,  therein  is  the 
secret  of  durability  always.  The  list  prices  of  these 
level-winders  run  from  $7.50  up  to  $35.00. 

The  Redlfor  people  have  recently  placed  a  level- 
winder  upon  the  market  which  seems  in  a  class  by 
itslf.  It  not  only  lays  the  line  but  is  also  a  self- 
thumber  and  free-spool.  The  line  Is  free  of  the 
guide  in  casting  but  is  automatically  picked  up  the 
instant  the  rodster  begins  to  reel.  The  advantage 
of  this  feature  is  that  friction  is  saved,  adding  to  the 
caster's  distance.  The  free-spool  feature  is  under 
the  rodster's  control,  the  handle  governing.  It  Is  a 
great  reel  for  the  man  who  desires  the  automatic 
features.  Well  made,  of  course,  for  It  comes  from 
the  the  Redlfor  shops,  a  sufficient  guarantee.    Many 


I 


"THUMBERS"  AND  SELF-SPOOLERS 


1.  South  Bend,  "Anti-Backlash." 

2.  Redifor,  "Self-Thumber." 

3.  Redifor,  "Governor." 


4.  South  Bend,  "Level  Winder. 

5.  Pflueger,  "Supreme." 

6.  Redifor,  "Beetzsel." 


THE  CASTING  REEL  65 

anglers  who  have  used  it,  write  me  that  is  the  last 
word  in  reel  construction.  A  well-known  bass-fan 
said,  in  a  personal  letter  to  me:  "The  Beetzsel"  is 
the  best  casting  reel  in  America  to-day,"  and  he  is 
an  angler  who  has  used  many  reels.  "Beetzsel"  is 
its  name  and  $20.00  its  price.  Made  by  Redifor 
Rod  and  Reel  Co.,  Warren,  Ohio. 

The  very  latest  reel  to  appear,  the  Pflueger-Su- 
preme,  made  by  the  Enterprise  Mfg.  Co.,  Akron, 
Ohio,  sells  at  $20.00,  and  is  the  last  word  in  self- 
thumbing,  self-spooling,  free-spool  winches.  The 
line  guide  gear  is  enclosed  in  a  box  which  drops 
down  out  of  the  way  the  instant  the  cast  is  made,  but 
springs  up  and  engages  the  line  as  soon  as  the  handle 
is  touched.  Little  *'dogs"  at  either  end  of  the 
spooler-box  chase  the  line  into  the  guide  as  soon  as 
touched.  The  action  is  very  positive  and  quick.  No 
danger  of  the  line  "piling"  when  using  this  reel. 
The  free-spool  feature  is  automatic,  a  slight  move- 
ment of  the  handle  being  sufficient  to  re-engage. 
One  feature  of  the  reel  which  will  undoubtedly 
appeal  to  many  casters  is  the  "switch-on"  self- 
thumber.  If  you  do  not  care  to  use  the  self-thumb- 
ing device  simply  set  the  arrow  on  the  milled  button 
at  "off"  and  the  reel  is  a  regular  winch  to  be 
thumbed  by  the  operator.  While  this  is  the  newest 
member  of  the  auto  reel  family  one  can  well  believe 
that  it  is  going  to  prove  popular.  Well  made  of 
German  silver,  it  certainly  is  a  handsome  winder. 


66       CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

There  has  just  appeared  upon  the  market  a  new 
reel  of  this  type — self-thumber,  self-winder,  but  not 
free-spool.  I  refer  to  the  South  Bend  Level  Wind- 
ing Anti-Backlash  Casting  Reel.  In  the  section  de- 
voted to  self-thumbers,  I  discussed  the  South  Bend 
reel,  the  one  with  a  "human  wire,"  therefore  I  do 
not  need  to  go  into  that  matter  here.  Recently  the 
South  Bend  people  have  entered  into  an  arrange- 
ment with  the  Shakespeare  Company  by  which  the 
latter's  well-known  and  thoroughly  dependable  self- 
spooling  device  has  been  added  to  the  Anti-Back- 
lash action,  the  result  being  a  splendid  winch  for  the 
bait-caster  or  muskellunge  troller.  This  latest  reel 
Is  strongly  and  most  beautifully  made,  with  double 
handle  and  fine  jewels.  The  lover  of  the  original 
Anti-Back-Lash  will  be  delighted  to  get  his  favorite 
reel  with  the  added  help  of  the  level-winder,  which 
as  I  have  pointed  out,  Is  one  of  the  greatest  aids  to 
casting  skill  and  accuracy.  Naturally  the  reel  must 
needs  be  moderately  high  priced — $25.00 — but 
what  angler  will  balk  at  that  when  he  takes  into 
consideration  the  many  advantages  of  the  new  reel? 
Probably  this  reel  will  be  on  the  market  about  the 
time  this  book  appears  from  the  press  and  I  am  sure 
that  it  will  render  most  excellent  service — both  the 
reel  and  the  book — and  anglers  will  welcome  the 
latest  member  of  a  large  and  growing  family. 


THE  CASTING  REEL  67 

FREAK  WINCHES 

I  have  already  referred  to  what  I  may  term 
*'freak  reels,"  a  great  many  of  which  were  still-born 
or  lived  a  short  life  though  there  is  still  any  number 
upon  the  market.  After  all,  the  angling  fraternity 
is  somewhat  conservative ;  it  will  not  stand  for  a  too 
radical  innovation.  A  change  must  come  gradually 
if  it  is  to  be  adopted.  There  may  be  good  points 
about  a  freak  reel,  but  because  it  is  a  freak  it  will 
stand  little  show  of  even  a  fair  try-out.  I,  Philistine 
though  I  am,  do  not  care  for  a  reel  too  different. 
Naturally  in  writing  of  these  odd  reels  from  my  col- 
lection I  will  refrain  from  commenting  upon  their 
merits  and  demerits  to  any  great  extent,  leaving  the 
reader  to  determine  in  his  own  mind  their  respective 
value. 

The  "Gyratory  Reel"  was  brought  to  my  home  by 
a  traveling  representative  of  a  certain  hardware 
house,  a  "special"  he  was  then  pushing.  We  tried 
it  out  on  the  street  to  the  great  amusement  of  a 
crowd  that  soon  gathered  and  they  were  not  all 
fishermen  either.  The  name — "Gyratory" — gives  a 
very  good  idea  of  the  winch,  referring  to  the  eccen- 
tric action  of  the  spool,wobbling  from  left  to  right 
like  a  lodge  goat,  with  each  revolution,  laying  the 
line  from  end  to  end  of  the  spool.  A  lever  frees  the 
spool  from  die  crank-shaft  so  that  it  is  a  "free^ 
spool."  It  will  be  noticed  that  it  Is  built  In  the 
handle  of  the  rod,  Is  a  part  of  the  rod.    The  crank 


68        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

is  of  peculiar  shape.  All  in  all,  I  consider  it  one  of 
the  strangest  creations  ever  produced  for  winding  a 
line  or  casting.  However,  it  certainly  will  handle  a 
line  in  a  manner  to  surprise  the  doubting  Thomases, 
but  a  man  would  need  to  be  possessed  of  more  than 
a  little  courage  to  take  the  arrangement  out  in  com- 
pany on  a  bass-lake.    Yet  it  may  become  popular. 

Another  odd  bass  reel  which  came  Into  my  pos- 
session a  few  years  ago,  was  the  "Kenward  Special," 
though  there  is  nothing  radically  strange  about  it 
save  the  arrangement  for  thumbing.  It  is  somewhat 
like  the  well-known  single  actions — ^'Experts" — 
which  are  so  popular  with  trout-fly-fishermen,  only 
much  larger,  being  something  like  seven  inches  in 
diameter,  a  single  revolution  of  the  spool  retrieving 
nearly  two  feet  of  line.  The  handle  is  simply  two 
knobs  fastened  directly  to  the  reel-head.  At  the 
base  of  the  reel  is  a  concave  surface  provided  for  the 
thumb,  the  idea  being  to  facilitate  thumbing. 
Though  I  tried  out  the  reel  somewhat  at  length  I 
never  succeeded  in  getting  the  hang  of  it,  the  side 
weight  tipping  the  rod  over  in  spite-  of  my  best 
efforts.  I  have  always  been  sorry  that  I  let  those 
two  reels  get  out  of  my  collection  and  would  be  very 
glad  Indeed  to  replace  them. 

One  sometimes  sees  listed,  I  never  happened  to 
see  them  In  actual  use,  reels  built  In  the  rod  handle. 
The  Innovation  seems  too  great  for  the  average 
fisherman;   though  one   can  easily  discover  certain 


THE  CASTING  REEL  69 

advantages  that  such  an  arrangement  would  have,  It 
would  also  have  several  disadvantages.  The  spool- 
ing of  the  line  properly  might  be  something  of  a 
problem,  while,  if  not  of  the  take-down  style,  a  back- 
lash would  be  quite  difficult  of  solution;  upon  the 
other  hand,  the  weight  of  the  reel  is  in  the  center  and 
the  rod  will  not  turn  in  the  hand.  (Parenthetically, 
I  have  often  thought  that  without  the  off-set  handle, 
same  attached  directly  to  the  reel  plate  as  In  single 
action  reels,  one  would  have  a  perfect  winch  for 
trout  bait  fishing  along  brushy  creeks,  nothing  to 
^catch  In  the  brush,  one  could  even  drag  the  rod  after 

im  without  fear  of  entanglement.) 
Some  two  years  ago  I  received  a  sample 
[**Thumezy"  reel,  a  surprising  bit  of  machinery. 
Klade  of  German  silver,  put  together  in  a  workman- 
like manner.  It  Is  a  reel  apparently  built  for  a  life- 
jtime.  The  Inventive  genius  who  produced  the 
■*'Thumezy"  must  have  sat  up  nights  thinking  out 
(the  various  things  his  winch  will  accomplish.  Just 
to  enumerate:  the  metal  thumb-stall  thumbs  the 
[spool,  the  thumb  Is  not  worn  by  contact  with  the 
line,  and  by  pressing  down  to  the  lowest  possible 
point,  the  spool  Is  automatically  freed  from  the 
winding  gear,  becomes  free,  so  for  casting  It  Is  a 
free-spool;  to  wind  in,  the  operator  but  presses  In  on 
ithe  handle  which  Instantly  connects  the  spool  with 
[the  gear;  slide  on  the  click  on  the  rear  plate  and 

idvance    the    thumb-stall    notch    by    notch — 6    of 


70        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

them — the  tension  is  increased  with  each,  at  the 
seventh  the  click  is  thrown  off,  the  spool  becomes 
free  once  more;  remove  the  two  thumb-screws  at 
either  end,  which  takes  the  place  of  oil-caps,  and  the 
reel  falls  apart.  I  do  not  know  that  I  have  enume- 
rated all  the  special  features  possessed  by  this  winch, 
but  surely  I  have  mentioned  enough  to  convince  you 
that  the  "Thumezy"  is  "different"  alright;  however, 
it  should  not  be  called  a  "freak"  for  it  is  a  practical 
reel. 

The  "Stockford"  is  not  a  radical  innovation  and 
in  nowise  a  freak  though  It  appears  odd.  The  gear 
IS  enclosed  In  a  small  gear-box  attached  to  the  outside 
of  the  head-plate,  small,  Inconspicuous  and  light. 
The  striking  original  feature  is  the  lack  of  pillars; 
the  ordinary  reel  has  three  above  the  reel-plate,  the 
"Stockford"  has  but  one,  and  that  low  down  in  the 
rear.  The  spool  being  open,  in  case  of  even  a 
superlatively  bad  back-lash.  It  would  not  be  neces- 
sary to  take  the  reel  apart,  the  operator  can  get  at 
the  line  with  ease.  Do  not  Imagine  that  because  of 
few  pillars  the  frame  is  weak  and  wobbly;  it  is 
unusually  firm  and  rigid.  By  the  way,  the  open 
frame  and  gear  box  is  used  to  some  extent  by  other 
makers ;  the  former  is  a  great  convenience,  while  the 
latter  reduces  the  weight  of  the  reel. 

To  continue  discussing  the  various  patterns  which 
from  time  to  time  have  come  from  original  makers, 
would  be  a  pleasure,  but  we  have 'mentioned  a  suf- 


THE  CASTING  REEL  ^\ 

ficlent  number  to  prove  that  there  is  a  reel  for  the 
lover  of  the  unusual,  and  wide  awake  inventors  are 
racking  if  not  wrecking  their  brains  to  produce  some- 
thing different.  Any  day,  perhaps,  some  angling, 
tool-wise  Walton  will  invent  a  casting  reel  that  will 
revolutionize  the  sport,  who  knows?  However,  I 
am  free  to  admit  that  I  am  a  conservative  of  the  con- 
servatives. I  do  not  ask  my  reel  to  do  all  the  work. 
I  desire  to  do  the  major  part  of  it  myself.  I  prefer 
the  simple  un-everything  reel.  Just  the  same,  there 
is  no  greater  treat  in  store  for  the  lover  of  bass 
tackle  than  to  stand  before  a  well  filled  reel  cabinet, 
displaying  the  various  orthodox  and  heterodox 
winches  that  have  been  produced;  undoubtedly  many 
of  them  spell  tragedy  for  some  inventor. 

ATTACHMENTS 

Various  attachments  have  been  produced,  of  more 
or  less  merit,  two  or  three  of  which  should  be  men- 
tioned in  this  connection  because  of  not  a  little  value 
to  the  bait  caster.  The  angler  who  has  trouble  with 
hand-cramp  will  find  the  finger-hook  and  hand-grasp 
attachment  a  veritable  boon,  for  it  will  obviate  his 
trouble  to  a  great  extent;  furthermore,  it  clamps  the 
reel  firmly  upon  the  rod;  and  is  a  splendid  finger- 
hook;  but  it  is  as  a  hand-grasp  that  it  will  appeal 
most  strongly.  Made  of  German  silver,  satin 
finished,  it  does  not  detract  from  the  appearance  of 
the  rod. 


/2        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

Various  ''handle  drags"  or  "brakes"  have  been 
placed  upon  the  market,  easily  among  the  best  being 
the  Meisselbach  people's  "Governor."  Produced 
originally  in  large  size  for  salt  water  reels,  its  utility 
in  heavy  bass  and  muskellunge  fishing  was  speedily 
realized,  and  it  was  built  for  regular  casting  reels. 
It  is  made  of  German  silver  with  hard  rubber  handle, 
2  7-16  inches  long,  its  presence  on  the  reel  in  place 
of  the  regular  handle  hardly  being  noticeable.  It  is 
essentially  a  crank,  but  made  in  three  parts,  fitted  to 
slip  or  revolve  upon  one  another,  and  clamped  to- 
gether by  adjusting  screws  which  produce  the  re- 
quired tension.  The  angler  simply  adjusts  the  screws 
so  that  the  drag  will  release  the  line  before  the 
breaking  point  is  reached;  all  he  does  then  is  to  hold 
the  handle,  secure  in  the  fact  that  his  capture  can  not 
Injure  his  tackle.  I  have  found  it  of  great  value  in 
trolling.  As  was  intimated  above,  the  regular  handle 
is  removed,  the  "Governor"  taking  its  place  as  a 
crank.  In  ordering,  care  should  be  taken  to  give 
the  size  of  the  stem  correctly,  or  the  drag  will  not 
work.  Other  drags  of  the  sort  examined  by  me  are 
very  similar,  so  I  let  this  represent  the  class. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  some  reels  now-a-days  have 
double  crank  handles  attached,  and  I  deem  the 
attachment  or  improved  handle  of  sufficient  im- 
portance to  give  it  special  mention  here.  At  first 
thought  the  angler  might  suppose  it  would  be 
ungainly  or  awkward,  and  it  does  so  impress  the 


I 


THE  CASTING  REEL  73 

average  caster  when  first  attached,  but  after  an 
hour's  work  he  finds  himself  depending  upon  the 
"ever  present  handle."  While  the  stock  argument 
used  in  favor  of  the  device  is  that  the  absolutely- 
equal  air  resistance  and  centrifugal  tension  of  the 
two  arms  gives  great  smoothness  when  the  reel  is  in 
action,  I  have  found  the  double  handle  easier  to 
grasp.  My  first  one  came  with  a  new  reel,  though  I 
had  ordered  the  regular  single  handle — perhaps  the 
maker  took  the  "under-handed"  method  of  getting 
me  to  try  the  thing — disgusted,  I  was  on  the  point 
of  returning  the  reel  to  the  maker,  when  my  bump 
of  angling  curiosity  got  in  its  work  and  I  tried  the 
winch  out,  just  as  the  maker  knew  I  would.  (Is 
there  a  more  pregnant  word  in  the  angler's  vocabu- 
lary than  the  verb  to  try-out!)  By  the  way,  that 
original  double  handle  is  still  attached  to  the  reel 
with  which  it  came. 

So  we  have  traced  the  evolution  of  the  casting  reel 
from  the  first  Kentucky  double  multiplier  down  to  the 
modern  highly  specialized  winch  that  can  do  every- 
thing but  "spit  on  the  bait."  Surely  the  angler  would 
be  foolish  indeed  who  would  try  to  use  them  all,  and 
would  have  to  command  a  considerable  bank  account. 
My  collection  Is  in  nowise  complete,  but  it  repre- 
sents several  hundred  dollars,  and  had  it  not  been 
for  the  thoughtfulness  and  consideration  of  various 
makers  it  would  have  been  In  nowise  as  complete  as 
it  IS.     After  all,  when  It  comes  to  actual  fishing,  a 


74        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

$3.00  reel  will  bring  as  many  doughty  bass  to  net 
as  will  a  $60.00  artistic  winch.  The  joy  of  fine 
tackle  is  largely  the  joy  of  possession.  I  own  one  or 
two  reels,  purchased  by  me  at  considerable  sacrifice, 
worth — well,  never  mind  how  much,  which  I  expect 
to  will  to  my  angling  daughter  when  I  die,  having  no 
son.  I  can  see  no  reason  why  those  fine  winches  may 
not  be  handed  on  down  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion of  tackle  lovers,  and  right  there  lies  the  secret 
of  durable  tackle,  loving  it.  I  offer  my  ex:perience 
and  knowledge  of  tackle  to  the  readers  of  these 
pages.  I  shall  be  glad  to  advise  with  you  as  to  what 
particular  reel  to  choose,  but  do  not  for  a  single 
moment  think  that  your  enjoyment  and  success  on 
lake  or  stream  will  depend  wholly  upon  the  reel 
selected;  remember,  in  the  final  analysis,  it  is  you  thaf 
counts. 

In  concluding  this  chapter,  a  few  words  of  advice 
regarding  the  care  of  the  reel  may  not  be  out  of 
place. 

CARE  OF  THE  REEL 

It  may  seem  to  the  reader  that  already  we  have 
said  too  much  regarding  the  proper  treatment  of  the 
reel,  but  when  you  stop  to  consider  that  the  modern 
high  grade  casting  winch  is  as  finely  constructed  as 
an  ordinary  watch,  adjusted  ofttimes  to  the  minutest 
fraction  of  an  inch,  you  will  appreciate  why  it  is 
necessary  to  treat  the  reel  with  intelligent  care. 
When  you  put  $25.00  into  a  watch,  you  do  not  throw 


THE  CASTING  REEL  75 

It  into  a  tin  box  to  let  it  rattle  about  like  a  single 
loose  pea  in  a  large  pod,  neither  do  you  drop  it  into 
a  sand-bank  and  expect  it  to  keep  time  thereafter 
without  a  thorough  over-hauling. 

You  have  no  right  to  treat  your  reel  with  any  less 
consideration  and  respect  than  you  lavish  upon  your 
favorite  time-piece.  Every  caster  should  own  two 
reels  at  least,  of  as  good  grade  as  he  can  afford,  per- 
haps one  better  than  the  other,  so  that  it  will  never 
be  necessary  to  subject  the  high  class  reel  to  the 
rough  work  sometimes  inflicted  upon  them.  Sup- 
pose your  reel  is  not  securely  fastened  to  your 
rod  and  falls  into  the  water — I  have  known  it  to 
happen — down,  down  it  goes  until  it  rests  on  sand 
and  mud  at  the  bottom;  now  you  must  pull  all  the 
line  from  the  spool  before  you  can  raise  the  reel  to 
the  surface,  obviously  that  reel  should  not  be  used 
again  until  it  has  undergone  a  thorough  cleaning.  A 
single  grain  of  sand  in  the  bearings  will  ruin  a  good 
winch  in  a  short  time. 

Just  to  illustrate  the  point:  Near  the  close  of  the 
bass  season  a  friend  and  I  paid  a  farewell  visit  to  a 
justly  famous  lake.  I  supplied  the  tackle  from  my 
cabinet.  I  desired  that  my  friend  use  a  really  high 
class  wincii  for  he  inclines  to  the  ancient  long  pole 
and  fixed  line,  so  I  all  unwittingly  carefully  packed 
one  of  my  best  reels  in  its  chamois  bag  and  sole- 
leather  case.  Well,  at  the  lake,  I  assembled  the 
tackle,  adjusted  the  reel,  and  handed  the  outfit  over 


76        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

with  not  a  little  pride.  We  went  down  to  the  boat 
and,  he  laid  his  rod  down  in  the  loose  sand  instead 
of  setting  It  up  on  laying  it  upon  a  log  conveniently 
near.  I  promptly  picked  it  up,  mentally  praying  that 
no  sand  had  entered  the  gearing;  had  it  been  one  of 
my  self-winders  I  do  not  know  what  I  would  have 
done,  for  I  did  not  want  to  offend  him.  In  the  boat 
it  was  just  the  same,  he  handled  that  cherished  winch 
as  though  it  was  an  object  of  little  worth,  while  in 
truth  it  cost  considerably  more  than  the  watch  he  was 
carrying.  The  matter  came  to  a  climax  when  he 
manufactured  a  back-lash,  calmly  removed  the  reel 
from  the  rod,  placed  it  on  the  dirty  boat  floor,  and 
actually  kicked  it  over  to  me.  I  nearly  died  of  heart 
failure.  I  forthwith  suggested  that  he  do  the  row- 
ing and  I  the  casting,  a  suggestion  which  met  with 
his  approval  because  "the  fish  were  not  biting 
anyway." 

Such  an  Incident  as  the  foregoing  to  a  lover  of 
rods  and  reels  seems  an  utter  impossibility,  but  alas, 
it  is  far  too  common.  I  have  loaned  tackle.  How- 
ever it  may  serve  as  a  text  for  a  little  exhortation 
upon  the  necessity  for  high-grade  tackle.  Once  the 
rodster  possesses  a  classy  winch,  for  which  he 
lavishes  $20.00  or  more,  he  will  never  treat  any  reel 
with  disrespect.  Consistently  I  have  urged  good 
tackle  for  twenty  years,  knowing  from  my  own  ex- 
perience that  nothing  will  react  more  salutarily  upon 
the   angler.      Ofttlmes   friends  near  and  far  have 


THE  CASTING  REEL  ^7 

taken  issue  with  me,  not  understanding  my  viewpoint 
and  object. 

As  always,  I  grant  that  a  sportsman  will  be  a 
sportsman,  a  gentleman  a  gentleman,  irrespective  of 
the  tools  used.  Let  that  stand  as  an  axiom.  How- 
ever, if  the  angler  can  by  any  means  afford  it,  let 
him  possess  a  reel  bearing  the  name  of  a  firm  that 
stands  for  quality  first.  Cut  out  the  pipe  and  cigars 
if  need  be  and  purchase  a  good  winch;  you  will  never 
regret  it.  Have  your  name  engraved  upon  the  head- 
plate,  so  that  you  can  hand  it  down  to  your  son — or 
your  daughter,  for,  please  God,  we  are  going  to 
raise  a  breed  of  women  to  whom  the  kiss  of  the  sun 
will  be  more  welcome  than  that  of  the  Hatterer — 
and  care  for  it  with  all  the  loving  affection  of  which 
you  are  capable.  My  word  for  it,  it  will  never  fail 
you.  What  was  that?  ''What  reel  shall  I  pur- 
chase ?"  I  can  not  say,  but  write  me  any  time,  stat- 
ing your  needs  and  I  will  gladly  drop  any  task  to 
advise  you. 

Undoubtedly  I  shall  be  accused  of  repeating  In 
this  chapter  just  what  I  have  been  saying  from  the 
beginning  and  In  the  outdoor  press  for  the  last  ten 
years,  but  that  fact  shall  not  deter  me  If  by  so  doing 
I  may  reach  and  influence  some  angler  to  treat  his 
winches  with  greater  respect.  Perhaps  some  reader 
will  think  that  my  assertion — "More  depends  upon 
care  bestowed  than  upon  the  make" — an  exaggera- 
tion, but  I  insist  that  It  Is  demonstrable  fact.     I  still 


78       CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

have  in  my  possession  the  first  reel  ever  purchased 
by  me,  a  cheap,  department-store  contraption,  and 
yet  that  reel  could  be  used  for  angling  to-day.  The 
secret  of  its  durability  is  not  to  be  found  in  its  manu- 
facture, the  few  cents  I  payed  for  it  would  disillusion 
any  one  on  that  score,  but  in  the  loving  care  bestowed 
upon  it  by  its  boy-owner.  I  have  no  interest  in  any 
particular  reel,  though  of  course  I  have  my  favorites. 
I  am  urging  you  to  care  for  your  reel  simply  that  you 
may  get  the  maximum  amount  of  service  out  of  it. 
Yet  my  advice  is — buy  a  good  reel,  yes,  an  expensive 
reel,  so  that  you  will  be  ashamed  not  to  care  for  it. 
At  first  thought  almost  anyone  knows  enough  to 
take  a  reel  to  pieces  without  a  word  of  advice,  but 
simply  taking  apart  Is  not  all  there  is  to  cleaning  a 
reel  by  any  means.  Never  take  down  a  reel  simply 
to  "see  how  it  is  made.''  It  does  not  pay  to  up-set 
just  for  the  sake  of  up-setting.  The  first  step  Is  to 
secure  a  screw-driver  that  accurately  fits  the  screw- 
slots  on  the  head  of  the  reel.  The  handle  of  the 
screw-driver  should  not  be  so  small  as  to  render  little 
purchase,  nor  yet  should  it  be  so  large  as  to  broom 
the  screws  by  giving  too  much  purchase.  Be  careful, 
for  nothing  Is  more  unsightly  than  a  reel  with  screw- 
heads  battered  out  of  shape.  Take  out  the  screw 
that  holds  the  handle  In  position  and  remove  the 
latter,  then  take  out  the  screws — three  or  four — 
which  hold  the  cap  In  place.  If  your  reel  is  provided 
with  a  drag,  It  should  be  slipped  on  before  the  cap  is 


THE  CASTING  REEL  79 

removed.  If  cap  does  not  come  off  easily,  tap  gently 
with  handle  of  screw-driver,  if  of  wood,  and  thus 
loosen.  The  next  step  is  to  remove  the  front  plate, 
which  is  exposed  by  removal  of  cap.  You  have  now 
but  to  remove  the  spool  and  your  reel  lies  before  you 
ready  for  cleaning.  If  you  have  worked  carefully 
you  have  in  nowise  marred  your  winch. 

Get  a  brush  with  some  fine  bristles,  a  tooth  brush 
will  do,  to  clean  gears.  Clean  every  part  of  the  reel 
with  benzine  or  alcohol;  I  prefer  the  former  as  it 
"cuts"  the  dirt  better.  With  a  bit  of  soft  cotton 
cloth  or  chamois  skin,  remove  all  oil,  dirt  and  grit 
from  the  plates,  cap,  wheel,  spool  and  stud. 
Sharpen  a  lead  pencil,  or  bit  of  hard  wood,  and  wrap 
with  cotton  cloth  and  insert  in  pivot-holes  and  holes 
in  gears.  Wipe  until  there  is  no  sign  of  dirt  on  the 
cleaner.  Perhaps  it  will  seem  to  the  reader  that  I 
am  unnecessarily  particular,  but  it  is  just  this  minute 
care  that  causes  a  reel  to  last  indefinitely.  The 
cleaning  finished,  put  a  small  drop  of  oil  in  each 
pivot-hole,  a  drop  on  the  stud — the  post  upon  which 
the  gear  fits — two  drops  of  oil  or  a  little  vaseline  in 
the  gear-teeth.  Do  not  over-lubricate.  You  must 
exercise  considerable  care  with  the  vaseline  especially 
or  you _ will  apply  too  much  and  .your  reel  will  run 
sluggishly.  Use  only  the  best  oil.  Some  reel 
makers  supply  an  oil  compounded  especially  for 
reels.  I  have  found  the  so-called  "One  Drop"  oiler 
very  convenient,  as  with  it  the  single  drop  can  be 


8o       CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

placed  just  where  you  want  it;  lacking  some  such 
container,  use  a  tooth-pick.  Having  oiled,  assemble 
carefully,  taking  pains  not  to  screw  more  tightly  than 
before,  so  springing  the  cap,  though  sufficient  tension 
must  be  secured  to  hold  the  cap  firmly  in  place. 

How  often  should  a  reel  be  cleaned  and  oiled? 
All  depends  upon  the  use  and,  abuse  to  which  sub- 
jected. Properly  handled,  a  bait  reel  should  not 
require  cleaning  more  often  than  once  a  month, 
though  if  it  fall  in  the  dirt,  it  should  not  be  used 
without  a  thorough  overgoing.  Of  course,  a  reel  in 
active  use  should  be  oiled  frequently;  that  need  not 
be  said.  After  a  hard  day's  casting  It  Is  my  practice 
to  take  the  reel  apart  and  give  It  a  careful  cleaning; 
It  pays  in  service  I  think,  and  It  must  be  confessed 
that  I  enjoy  "puttering"  with  my  "rods  and  reels  and  1 
traces."  However,  a  reel  should  never  be  taken 
apart  unless  absolutely  necessary,  and  never  as- 
sembled in  haste.  A  careless  or  hurried  hand  will 
work  irreparable  Injury.  Nothing  is  more  un- 
sightly than  a  viciously  marred  end-plate,  or  bat- 
tered screw-heads;  both  are  easy  of  accomplishment, 
too,  as  more  than  one  angler  can  testify.  Perhaps 
I  should  add  here  that  if  the  reel  has  been  im- 
mersed— and  som,e  anglers  think  little  of  shoving 
rod  and  reel  beneath  the  surface — a  foolish  and 
noxious  habit,  it  should  not  be  used  again  before 
drying.  Quite  recently  an  angler  brought  me  a  reel 
for  examination,  complaining  that  it  "lugged  and 


THE  CASTING  REEL  8i 

kicked-back"  in  action.  Upon  taking  the  winch 
apart,  it  was  a  reel  of  quality,  too,  I  found  that  it 
had  been  left  full  of  water  and  the  condition  of  the 
gears  can  better  be  imagined  than  described.  If  '*a 
stitch  in  time  saves  nine,"  what  of  the  man  who  never 
does  any  sewing? 

While  I  have  gone  into  this  matter  of  caring  for 
the  reel  somewhat  in  length,  it  may  be  that  I  have 
left  unsaid  something  which  I  should  have  said, 
though  I  doubt  very  much  if  I  have  said  too  much. 
Get  a  good  reel  by  all  means,  and  care  for  it  as  the 
very  apple  of  your  eye  and  the  word  of  my  experi- 
ence for  it,  it  will  render  long  and  lasting  service. 
Any  reel  from  the  shop  of  a  reputable  maker  should 
last  a  life-time,  or  longer;  will  if  you  do  your  part 
Do  not  imagine  that  the  makers,  whose  named  stand 
for  quality,  manufacture  reels  just  to  sell;  they  build 
them  to  last,  knowing  that  a  satisfied  customer  is  the 
very  best  kind  of  an  advertisement.  Be  good  to  your 
tackle. 


CHAPTER  III 

TERMINAL  TACKLE 

The  amateur  can  usually  secure  information  con- 
cerning rods,  reels  and  artificial  lures;  indeed,  I 
sometimes  think  there  is  such  a  wealth  of  informa- 
tion that  it  is  almost  confusing;  but  regarding  the 
subject  of  this  chapter  there  seems  to  be  a  paucity 
of  advice,  and  a  few  words  may  not  be  out  of  place. 
After  all,  the  rod  and  reel  are  not  of  greater  im- 
portance than  the  line;  if  the  latter  hold,  the  fish 
may  be  netted  in  spite  of  shattered  rod  and  balking 
reel;  transversely,  if  the  line  break,  it  matters  not 
how  perfect  the  reel  and  strong  the  rod.  So,  while 
I  have  captioned  this  chapter  "Terminal  Tackle," 
most  of  the  space  at  my  disposal  will  be  devoted  to 
the  line,  for  the  matter  of  lures  will  be  discussed  in 
the  foHowing  chapter.  Then,  too,  there  are  certain 
articles  of  minor  importance,  though  their  posses- 
sion adds  greatly  to  the  angler's  enjoyment,  which  I 
will  briefly  discuss  here.  Therefore,  this  is  to  be  a 
talk  upon  a  number  of  things  seldom  touched  upon 
in  a  book  of  this  kind. 

The  question  of  line-material  may  be  dismissed 
with  but  a  word,  silk  alone  being  worthy  of  the 

82 


TERMINAL  TACKLE  83 

caster's  attention.  All  other  materials  experimented 
with  by  me  have  proven  too  harsh  for  the  thumb, 
that  valuable  member  being  worn  to  the  very 
*'qulck"  In  a  few  hours  casting  when  the  line  has  been 
at  all  rough  or  hard;  indeed,  with  the  softest  of  silk 
lines  on  my  reel  I  have  more  than  once  been  com- 
pelled to  forego  angling  because  my  thumb  would 
not  endure  the  wear  of  the  spinning  spool.  It  goes 
without  saying  that  the  rodster's  line  should  be 
braided  and  not  twisted,  for  the  twisted  thread  will 
kink  and  snarl  in  a  manner  undreamed  of  by  the 
braided,  though  the  latter  can  kink  upon  occasion  as 
every  caster  has  discovered  to  his  sorrow.  The  wise 
angler  will  choose  the  so-called  "soft  braided"  line 
because  it  is  less  severe  upon  the  thumb  than  the 
"hard  braided,"  then,  too,  the  former  spools  more 
evenly  and  closely  than  the  latter,  a  very  decided 
advantage.  The  line  should  be  without  waterproof- 
ing, or  any  sort  of  dressing  whatever;  you  may  set 
that  down  as  an  axiom,  though  an  ambitious  maker 
once  sent  me  a  special  waterproof  line,  built  with  the 
caster's  requirements  In  mind,  which  was  a  wonder, 
but  hard  upon  the  thumb  after  all.  After  many  years 
of  experience  and  experiments  I  have  come  to  the 
conclusion  the  undressed,  soft  braided  line  is  the  only 
thing  for  the  bass-caster. 

Naturally,  the  caster  is  at  the  mercy  of  the  dealer, 
for  no  matter  how  well  a  line  may  be  made,  if  the 
retailer  has  held  it  in  open  stock  for  a  year  or  two, 


84       CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

subject  to  atmospheric  changes,  it  can  not  be  in  first 
class  condition.  Lines  deteriorate  even  if  not  used. 
Some  makers  send  out  their  lines  in  air  tight  glass 
tubes,  asserting  that  when  sealed  they  do  not  age  so 
quickly.  I  can  not  speak  with  certainty,  however, 
for  two  seasons  I  carried  two  lines  in  my  tackle  box, 
one  wound  upon  a  spool,  the  other  in  a  sealed  tube ; 
though  of  the  same  grade,  and  from  the  same  maker, 
the  air-exposed  line  proved  50  per  cent,  weaker  than 
the  one  kept  in  the  glass  tube.  Perhaps  the  experi- 
ment proves  nothing  but  I  am  storing  my  spare  lines 
these  days  In  air  tight  receptacles,  test-tubes  sealed 
with  electrician's  tape. 

It  might  be  well  to  add  that  it  is  never  the  part  of 
economy  to  purchase  a  cheap  line;  the  best  is  in  the 
end  cheapest.  Always  purchase  a  line  bearing  the 
name  of  a  maker  known  to  the  angling  world.  Let 
the  book-writers  and  angling  editors  do  the  experi- 
menting; so  save  your  money  and  your  fish.  A  good 
line  of  50  yards,  a  practical  fishing  length,  should 
cost  you  slightly  over  $1.00;  I  would  not  think  of 
buying  a  lower  priced  one,  lest  the  maker  had  been 
compelled  to  shade  the  quality  in  order  to  make  the 
price. 

The  matter  of  size  is  much  misunderstood  by 
many  anglers,  at  least  so  it  seems,  for  one  someumes 
sees  lines  of  tremendous  size  wound  upon  casting 
reels.  There  are  just  two  sizes  worth  consideration 
by  the  bass-fishermen — G  and  H.    G,  where  you  may 


TERMINAL  TACKLE  85 

hook  an  unusually  heavy  fish,  like  the  southern  bass 
or  northern  pike;  H,  for  all  ordinary  bass  fishing; 
indeed,  with  the  latter  size  a  skillful  angler  may  land 
almost  any  fish.  G  should  test  In  the  neighborhood 
of  20  pounds,  and  H  about  16.  As  sizes  vary  and 
some  makers  use  numbers  Instead  of  letters,  ordi- 
narily it  Is  a  good  idea  to  mention  strength  required 
when  ordering.  Most  makers  Issue  a  sample  card, 
showing  colors,  sizes  and  strength.  Before  you 
order,  after  you  have  determined  what  particular 
make  you  desire,  send  for  a  card  of  samples.  Do 
not  wait  until  the  night  before  you  start  on  your 
trip,  then  rush  down  to  the  tackle  store  and  purchase 
"any  old  thing"  the  dealer  happens  to  have  In  stock; 
your  portion  will  be  that  of  the  man  who  marries  in 
haste.    Get  a  good  line. 

I  honestly  do  not  believe  the  question  of  color  a 
matter  of  great  importance  in  bass-casting;  the  fish 
does  not  wait  to  look  at  the  line,  once  the  lure  comes 
crashing  down  upon  the  water.  In  bait-fishing,  I 
mean  still-fishing  with  liv€  bait,  I  desire  a  line  as 
near  the  color  of  the  water  as  it  is  possible  for  a  man 
to  secure ;  there  I  have  found  that  a  conspicuous  line 
has  a  tendency  to  frighten  feeding  fish.  In  bait- 
casting  it  Is  the  splash  of  the  lure  which  attracts  the 
fish,  the  lure  speeds  away  at  the  end  of  the  line, 
therefore  the  fish  has  little  opportunity  to  be 
frightened  by  it.  My  experiments  have  convinced 
me  that  size  is  a  more  important  matter  than  color. 


86        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

Of  course  the  line  should  be  of  some  harmonizing 
tint,  in  dark  water  a  dark  line,  in  clear  water  a  light 
line.  I  have  fished  lakes  where  the  water  possessed 
a  peculiar  green  tint  or  sheen;  there  I  would  use  a 
green  and  white  line.  In  some  waters  a  brown  line 
is  almost  invisible.  For  a  "general  purpose"  line, 
perhaps  there  is  nothing  better  than  "salt  and 
pepper,"  black  and  white  mottled.  But  as  I  said 
at  the  beginning  of  this  paragraph,  color  is  not  a 
matter  of  determining  importance,  and  much  over- 
rated by  some  anglers.  The  well  equipped  tackle- 
box  should  contain  two  "salt  and  pepper,"  one  green 
and  white,  and  one  brown  or  black;  so  furnished,  the 
bass-caster  may  go  up  against  any  unknown  water  j 
proposition  without  fear  or  hesitancy. 

Care  of  the  line  is  a  matter  of  greater  moment  - 
than  color  or  size.  The  angler  who  does  not  pains-  ^ 
takingly  care  for  his  line  has  no  business  complain- 
ing when  the  record  fish  of  the  day  breaks  loose  and 
escapes,  neither  should  he  set  up  a  howl  that  the 
dealer  has  cheated  him.  The  better  the  line  the 
more  care  it  deserves.  The  line  must  be  thoroughly 
dried  once  a  day;  to  do  so  does  not  require  an  ex- 
pensive drying  reel  though  that  is  a  great  conven- 
ience. Just  stretch  between  two  trees,  preferably  in 
the  shade,  it  will  take  but  a  few  moments  to  dry 
thoroughly  on  an  ordinary  summer  day.  If  in  the 
house,  It  can  be  stretched  between  two  nails,  wound 
about  the  backs  of  two  chairs,  or  even  heaped  in 


TERMINAL  TACKLE  87 

loose  coils  on  the  floor.  In  a  permanent  camp  it  will 
pay  the  bass-fan  to  build  a  line-drying  windless, 
which  can  be  easily  accomplished  by  the  exercise  of 
a  little  ingenuity.  Never  leave  a  wet  line  on  a  reel 
over  night.  Make  it  the  rule  of  your  life  to  care 
for  the  line  the  first  thing  after  landing.  It  is  sur- 
prising how  soon  a  line  will  rot  if  not  thoroughly 
dried. 

"How  long  should  a  good  casting-line  last?" 
That  is  a  hard  question  and  can  only  be  answered 
with,  "That  depends."  Depends  upon  how  much 
money  you  are  willing  to  spend  and  upon  how  much 
care  you  are  willing  to  lavish.  I  know  of  men  who 
never  use  a  line  a  second  day,  discarding  the  "old" 
line  at  the  end  of  each  day's  casting.  I  can  not  afford 
it.  I  have  used  lines  two  and  three  seasons  even, 
without  losing  a  fish  through  breaking,  but,  then,  I 
am  an  "old  maid"  when  it  comes  to  "pottering  with 
tackle."  At  the  end  of  the  season  I  roll  up  the  lines 
that  are  worth  saving  and  seal  them  in  tubes,  the 
others  I  throw  away.  It  is  unwise  to  retain  a  line 
which  manifests  the  slightest  weakness.  Turn  your 
lines  often  so  that  the  whole  length  receives  equal 
wear.  Perhaps  you  have  never  thought  of  it,  but 
that  portion  of  a  50  yard  line  which  comes  next  the 
spool  is  seldom  used.  I  am  taking  it  for  granted 
that  you  are  not  a  tournament  caster,  and  even  if 
you  were,  you  would  find  it  somewhat  difficult  to  cast 
150  feet  with  a  regular  fishing  line. 


i 


SS       CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

''Never  neglect  to  test  the  end  of  your  line  before 
you  attach  the  lure,"  a  bit  of  advice  which  if  acted 
upon,  will  save  the  bass-caster  many  a  lure  and  per- 
haps the  largest  fish  of  the  season.  The  whipping 
out  of  the  line  wears  the  end  to  such  an  extent  that 
it  becomes  rotten.  If  you  can  break  the  Hne  with 
your  hands  it  should  be  broken  before  you  attach  the 
lure.  Sometimes  twenty  feet  can  be  so  removed; 
sacrifice  it  ruthlessly,  lest  you  mourn  loss  of  lure  or 
loss  of  fish  or  both. 

To  illustrate :  Some  years  ago  I  invested  a  great 
big  round  dollar  in  a  rubber  frog,  a  lure  which  is 
very  dear  to  me  for  lake  fishing.  Standing  upon  the 
shores  of  a  wilderness  lake,  the  only  rubber  frog 
within  a  hundred  miles  on  the  end  of  my  line,  I  said 
to  my  companion  boastingly,  "See  me  touch  the  edge 
of  that  weed-bed  out  yonder."  Now  the  weed-bed 
lay  more  than  lOO  feet  distant,  so  I  threw  all  of  my 
strength  and  skill  Into  the  cast.  The  frog  hit  the 
weed-bed,  but  the  line  had  parted  just  back  of  the 
leader.  I  spent  that  vacation  without  a  rubber  frog 
but  I  had  learned  my  lesson.  I  found  upon  examina- 
tion that  fully  fifteen  feet  of  the  line  was  rotten  and 
worthless.  Test  the  line  carefully,  thoroughly  and 
often. 

There  remain  but  a  few  things  to  mention  In  clos- 
ing this  chapter.  Did  you  ever  lose  a  pike  by  having 
the  fish  "strike  over,"  cutting  the  line?  If  you  have, 
you  promised  yourself  never  to  fish  again  without  a 


\ 


TERMINAL  TACKLE  89 

wire  gimp  or  leader.  It  is  a  wise  resolution,  one 
worthy  of  observation.  Now  that  the  caster  can 
secure  wire  gimp  leaders  with  snaps  and  swivels,  he 
is  worse  than  foolish  not  to  place  a  supply  in  his 
tackle-box.  I  am  not  acquainted  with  a  more  con- 
venient and  useful  article  for  the  fisherman*s  outfit. 
The  snap  holds  the  lure  secure  while  casting,  the  fish 
can  **strike-over"  If  he  so  desires,  and  the  rodster  can 
change  lures  instantly  without  tying  knots.  If 
anglers  realized  what  a  convenience  and  safeguard 
the  leaders  are,  all  tackle-boxes  would  be  supplied. 

The  leader  just  discussed  has  a  swivel  attached, 
and  one  or  two  should  precede  every  lure.  If  you 
question  their  value,  just  cast  without  one  and  then 
with  one;  you  will  be  surprised  to  find  that  the  line 
will  kink  and  snarl  In  a  wonderful  manner  when  they 
are  not  used.  The  swivels  can  be  secured  alone,  or 
In  combination  with  snaps.  I  often  fasten  the 
swivel-snap  to  the  end  of  the  line,  attaching  the  gimp 
leader  thereto ;  sometimes  fastening  the  leader  to  the 
line  end,  attaching  the  swivel  below,  connecting  the 
latter  with  the  lure,  the  object  being,  whether  swivel 
or  leader  come  first,  to  secure  the  advantage  of  a 
double  swivel.  I  think  I  get  better  results  by  attach- 
ing the  swivel  directly  to  the  end  of  the  line. 

Sinkers  hardly  have  a  place  In  a  bait-caster's  out- 
fit, though  the  live-bait  fisher  should  never  be  with- 
out them;  however,  under  certain  conditions  the 
caster  will  find  that  to  be  able  to  add  a  little  weight 


90        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

to  the  lure  will  be  advantageous.  To  that  end  I 
carry  a  box  of  split  buckshot.  With  their  aid  the 
rodster  can  make  a  surface-lure  perform  like  an 
under-water,  add  weight  to  a  light  lure  for  casting 
against  the  wind;  indeed,  he  will  be  surprised  how 
convenient  they  will  prove.  (Of  course  down  in  the 
bottom  of  your  casting-case  there  lies  a  little  package 
of  old  fashioned  hooks,  concealed  even  as  a  fly-fisher 
conceals  his  can  of  worms.  Well,  on  the  day  when 
the  bass  refuse  to  rise  and  it  looks  as  though  yours 
was  to  be  a  Ashless  dinner,  attach  one  of  those  hooks, 
with  a  sinker  above  it,  dig  a  worm  from  a  rotten  log, 
and  go  down  after  a  yellow-perch  or  ^ock  bass.) 


CHAPTER  IV 

CASTING  LURES 

As  to  who  first  succeeded  in  whittling  out  an  arti- 
ficial lure  that  would  attract  fish,  history  sayeth  not. 
Many  individuals  claim  to  be  the  original  discoverers 
of  the  "plug,"  even  as  many  communities  claim  to 
have  been  its  birth-place.  The  fact  of  the  matter  is, 
while  the  casting  lure  is  a  modern  creation,  artificial 
fish-getters  are  very  ancient.  When  discovered  the 
Indians  were  capturing  fish  with  unbaited  hooks  of 
bone.  I  shall  never  forget  watching  an  Indian  take 
bass  after  bass  with  a  bit  of  green  willow  twig  to 
which  he  had  attached  a  heavy  hook.  I  can  whittle 
out  a  lure,  using  "red  willow^'  for  a  body,  that  will 
attract  bass.  How  long  such  things  have  been  used 
to  attract  and  capture  fish  no  man  knoweth.  How- 
ever, ancient  as  artificial  lures  are,  it  was  not  until 
the  multiplying  reel  was  perfected,  and  the  short 
casting  rod  came  Into  being,  that  artificial  bass  lures 
reached  perfection.  It  is  extremely  difficult  to  un- 
ravel the  twisted  history. 

Elsewhere  I  have  told  of  the  lad  who  accidentally 
dropped  the  table-spoon  over-board,  and  as  with  re- 
morse he  watched  it  dart  and  ricochet  through  the 

91 


92        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

water,  saw  a  large  pike  strike  at  it  fiercely.  Such 
was  the  suggestion  that  resulted  in  the  "trolling 
spoon."  Traveling  along  another  road,  a  group  of 
anglers  were  whittling  out  minnow  shapes,  and  tak- 
ing fish  with  the  crude  lures  they  manufactured. 
Came  the  day  when  the  two  groups  met,  the  spoon- 
men  and  the  minnow-makers.  The  result  was  a 
combination  lure,  a  minnow  shaped  body  with  whirl- 
ing blades  fore  and  aft.  Later,  quite  recently,  a 
genius  placed  the  whirling  blades  within  an- opening 
made  in  the  body.  There  are  blades  of  many  shapes 
and  forms,  though  anglers  believe  some  types  more 
attractive  than  others,  which  is  true;  it  should  be 
added,  however,  that  under  certain  conditions  even 
the  most  abused  of  lures  will  prove  a  fish-getter, 
while  the  favorite  will  fail.  There  are  three  ele- 
ments always  entering  into  the  problem:  first,  the 
habitat  and  mood  of  the  fish;  second,  the  shape  and 
color  of  the  lure ;  third,  knowledge  and  skill  of  the 
angler.  As  to  which  is  more  important  I  leave  the 
reader  to  determine. 

Why  do  bass  strike  at  the  strange  forms  the 
rodsters  affect?  The  answer  is  not  easy.  Person- 
ally I  believe  they  think — if  fish  think — the  object 
moving  through  the  water  is  something  good  to  eat, 
though  I  must  confess  that  sometimes  they  seem  to 
pursue  simply  because  actuated  by  anger.  I  have 
found  the  elongate  body,  that  is,  the  minnow  form, 
most  attractive.  Why?  Because  it  more  nearly  simu- 


CASTING  LURES  93 

lates  the  minnow,  one  of  the  natural  foods  of  the 
fish.  Every  angler  has  discovered  that  it  is  almost 
useless  to  use  artificial  lures  when  bass  are  lying 
deep,  as  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  hence  they  cast 
early  in  the  morning  and  again  at  evening  when  the 
fish  are  feeding  in  the  shallows.  Some  writers 
assert  that  bass  attack  the  splashing  lure  because  it 
interferes  with  their  feeding,  and  I  am  sure  that  nine 
times  out  of  ten  the  attack  is  made  because  the  fish 
is  hungry.  It  will  be  said  at  once  in  answer  that  bass 
are  taken  with  undigested  fish  in  their  maws;  indeed, 
even  with  tails  of  late  captures  protruding  from 
their  mouths.  Granted,  but  live  bait  fishermen,  still 
fishing,  report  the  same  thing.  Obviously  in  still 
fishing  there  is  no  compulsion  of  excitement.  The 
bass  will  glut  itself  just  because  it  is  a  bass.  We 
measure  fish  from  a  human  view-point,  and  I  beg  to 
remind  you  that  it  is  a  long  journey  from  that  low 
form  to  our  present  high  estate.  If  we  could  place 
ourselves  in  the  fish's  place,  thinking (  ?)  and  seeing 
as  does  the  fish,  its  ways  would  not  be  so  mysterious. 
As  already  remarked  in  the  preceding  paragraph,  I 
have  always  found  the  minnow  shaped  body  the  most 
successful.  No,  it  does  not  seem  to  be  an  important 
matter  whether  the  large  or  small  end  travels  ahead, 
or  whether  one  end  be  larger  than  the  other.  The 
elongate  form — the  minnow  shape — is  the  most  at- 
tractive. Just  glance  over  any  representative  collec- 
tion of  lures  and  you  w^ill  at  once  discover  that  99 


94       CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

per  cent,  are  of  this  shape.  Furthermore,  almost  as 
large  a  per  cent,  are  of  the  distinct  minnow  type, 
with  glass  eyes  to  add  naturalness;  while  numbers 
have  fins,  either  of  metal  or  painted  on  the  body. 
Regarding  the  importance  of  eyes  and  fins,  I  am  not 
altogether  sure  though  I  have  carried  on  careful  ex- 
periments for  a  number  of  years.  To  date  my  con- 
clusion is  that  they  are  of  little  value.  The  long 
body  will  give  better  action  in  the  water  and  lends 
itself  admirably  to  hook  attachment,  and  is  hereby 
recommended. 

In  the  matter  of  hook  attachment  there  is  a 
unanimity  of  opinion  among  those  at  all  acquainted 
with  the  habits  of  the  fish  sought.  Always  the  bass 
strikes  from  the  side,  retires  to  turn  the  minnow 
head  foremost  before  swallowing.  Never  will  he 
sneak  up  from  behind  after  the  manner  of  pike  or 
pike-perch.  The  rear  hooks  are  almost  useless  so 
far  as  bass  are  concerned.  Striking  from  the  side, 
if  not  impaled  at  the  instant  of  impact,  he  goes  free. 
At  least  one  manufacturer  has  demonstrated  the 
feasibility  of  a  single  hook,  placing  one  upon  either 
side  the  body  of  his  lure.  It  is  a  success.  There  is 
no  excuse  or  reason  for  the  multiplicity  of  hooks  one 
sometimes  sees  attached  to  a  lure.  I  have  several 
in  my  collection  with  five  trebles;  think  of  it,  fifteen 
single  hooks  when  two  would  serve  every  required 
purpose.     More  and  more  makers  are  coming  to 


1 


CASTING  LURES  95 

reduce  the  trebles,  two  being  the  usual  number  and 
often  two  double  hooks. 

I  am  not  altogether  sure  that  a  mere  screw-eye 
screwed  into  the  wooden  body  is  a  sufficiently  secure 
method  of  attachment;  I  prefer  to  have  the  hooks 
attached  to  a  center  wire — where  that  is  possible — 
running  through  the  body  of  the  lure.  Naturally 
such  an  arrangement  Is  sonnewhat  more  expensive 
but  it  is  worth  all  It  costs.  The  hook  attachment 
should  be  secure,  the  hooks  themselves  of  the  best. 
Some  anglers  prefer  a  hook  that  will  break  before 
the  line,  then  a  snag  loses  part  of  Its  terrors  for  the 
lure  itself  is  safe.  Always  the  wise  caster  carries  a 
spare  treble,  If  he  employs  that  style  of  lure,  single 
or  double  hooks  if  they  appeal  to  him.  Ofttimes 
makers  furnish  their  lures  with  both  kinds  of  hooks, 
singles  and  trebles,  sometimes  with  the  weed- 
guarded,  too. 

The  finish  of  the  lure  is  of  utmost  importance,  a 
cheaply  made,  half  baked  lure  is  a  delusion  and  a 
snare;  do  not  invest  iri  them.  Over  and  over  again 
In  this  volume  and  through  my  department  in 
Outdoor  Life  I  have  urged  the  Importance  of  good 
tackle,  and  nowhere  is  the  matter  of  greater  moment 
than  in  the  selection  of  lures.  A  good,  well-finished 
lure  can  not  be  secured  for  a  song,  whether  you  sing 
rag  time  or  oratorio.  You  must  be  willing  and  able 
to  pay  the  price.  Something  for  nothing  can  not  be 
secured  outside  the  advertising  pages  of  a  second 


96       CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

class  magazine.  The  enamel  should  be  of  the  best 
quality,  two  or  three  coats,  baked  in.  A  second 
quality  lure  soon  cracks  and  chips.  I  have  lures  in 
my  tackle-box  which  have  withstood  three  seasons  of 
strenuous  castmg — I  require  service  from  my 
''plugs" — ^while  others  have  chipped  the  first  day 
out.  Remember  the  purpose  of  the  enamelling  is 
not  simply  to  give  a  highly  burnished  surface,  but  to 
keep  out  the  water.  Once  let  a  drop  of  moisture  find 
entrance  into  the  wood  and  it  is  all  day  with' the  lure. 
My  advice  to  readers  of  these  pages  is,  shun  cheap 
department  store  plugs.  Know  what  you  want,  why 
you  want  it,  and  get  the  best. 

Much  has  been  written,  and  more  will  be  written, 
upon  the  subject  of  color.  Perhaps  no  two  casters 
will  ever  agree  regarding  the  matter,  for  few  study 
the  question  from  the  same  angle.  Granted  that 
there  is  no  single  best  color,  for  local  conditions  have 
everything  to  do  with  It;  certain  hues  are  more  likely 
to  prove  attractive.  If  I  were  to  be  limited  to  a 
single  color,  as  Is  well  known  by  this  time,  I  would 
without  an  Instant's  hesitancy  pick  out  the  red  and 
white  combination.  Of  course,  enters  the  matter  of 
local  conditions.  Consequentially  I  desire  a  wide 
selection  of  colors  always  in  my  tackle-box  unless  I 
know  absolutely  what  I  am  going  up  against.  More- 
over, as  intimated,  I  think  red  and  white,  in  com- 
bination, comes  as  near  being  the  universal  attractor 
as  one  can  secure.     Naturally  I  do  not  demand  the 


[ 


1-3.     Battle-scarred  plugs.  7-8. 

4.        Casting  weight.  9-13. 

5-6.     Lures  that  kick  up  the  water.  14-18. 


All  surface  lures. 
Surface-underwaters. 
Metal-head  attachments. 


k 


CASTING  LURES  97 

same  shape  and  color  when  deep-fishing  that  I  em- 
ploy when  "splattering'^  on  the  surface,  all  of  which 
will  be  more  or  less  thoroughly  gone  Into  when  we 
discuss  the  various  types  later  on — surface,  surface- 
underwater,  and  weedless. 

I  have  been  carrying  on  a  series  of  experiments 
which  I  am  willing  to  admit  are  of  questionable 
value  though  suggestive:  of  questionable  value  be- 
cause we  do  not  know  that  colors  appear  and  appeal 
to  a  fish  as  they  do  to  us  even  when  seen  through  the 
same  medium,  suggestive  because  throwing  some 
light  upon  color  values  in  water.  I  made  a  con- 
trivance w^Ith  which  I  could  study  the  lure  under 
water.  Unless  of  very  bright  color,  looking  up 
through  the  water,  at  a  distance  of  four  feet  the 
lure  became  a  black  spot  simply.  Getting  a  white 
lure  against  a  dark  back-ground,  such  as  an  over- 
hanging bank  or  fringe  of  trees,  or  a  red  lure,  say, 
against  the  blue  sky,  caused  the  plug  to  stand  out 
conspicuously.  I  found  a  vast  difference  between 
looking  up  at  a  lure  against  the  light,  and  looking 
down  upon  a  lure  as  from  a  boat,  the  light  above.  I 
was  greatly  surprised  to  find  that  the  less  conspicu- 
ous shades  and  colors  were  indistinguishable  when 
seen  through  the  water  from  any  great  distance.  In 
under-water  lures  I  found  it  extremely  difficult  to 
differentiate  between  a  yellow  perch,  colored  to  life, 
and  the  green  minnow  type  so  common  upon  the 
market.    Lengthy  experiments  have  forced  me  to  the 


I 


98        CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

conclusion  that,  as  a  rule,  when  bass  are  not  taking 
minnows  it  makes  little  difference  whether  or  not  the 
lure  duplicates  the  prevalent  food  so  long  as  it  is 
handled  adroitly.  Consequentially,  so  far  as  my 
observation  goes,  more  depends  upon  the  skill  of  the 
rodster  than  upon  mere  color.  The  reader  may  be 
somewhat  surprised  to  find  the  writer  coming  to  this 
conclusion,  but  it  is  the  result  of  lengthy  experiments 
in  many  waters  and  under  varying  conditions. 

I  have  fished  with  men  using  pork-rind,  while  I 
employed  the  best  of  artificial  lures,  yet  the  porkers 
caught  two  fish  to  my  one.  How  many  bass  will  a 
pork-rind  attract  in  24  hours,  if  you  just  let  it  hang 
in  the  water,  think  you?  Suppose  you  try  it.  Pork 
rind  is  a  good  lure;  I  use  the  word  advisedly ;  it  is  not 
a  bait  J  -per  se,  when  kept  in  motion.  Here  is  food 
for  thought.  Now,  suppose  we  turn  our  attention 
to — 

SURFACE  LURES 

The  surface  lure  is  a  comparatively  modern  in- 
vention, or  rather  development  of  the  casting  plug. 
Logically  it  should  be  discussed  last,  because  the 
latest  member  of  the  family' to  appear,  but  in  view 
of  its  importance  it  should  be  given  first  place.  I 
think  there  is  no  room  for  argument  here.  While 
there  are  times  when  the  under-water  is  the  availing 
lure,  taking  the  matter  by  and  large,  the  surface-lure 
is  the  best  all  around  type  for  average  casting.  Of 
course  the  angler  will  take  into  consideration,  first. 


CASTING  LURES  99 

water  conditions;  second,  time  of  th'c  year;  third, 
weather;  fourth,  moods  and  idiosyncrasies  of  bass 
at  the  particular  moment.  Which  qualification 
destroys  the  force  of  the  previous  remark.  If  the 
reader  pursues  this  chapter  to  the  end  he  will  dis- 
cover why  I  have  made  this  loop-hole  of  escape.  I 
use  under-water  lures  where  I  believe  under-water 
lures  should  be  employed,  because  that  class  of 
attractors  are  the  most  successful  fish-getters  under 
certain  conditions. 

The  surface  lure  is  the  tyro's  training  school  and 
the  old  hand's  saint's-rest.  Forpractice,  learning  how 
to  handle  the  rod  and  thumb  the  reel,  there  is 
nothing  like  the  simon-pure  surface  plug,  the  lure 
that  will  remain  upon  the  surface  even  while  the 
exasperated  rodster  takes  his  reel  apart  to  untangle 
a  bad  back-lash,  or  hand-over-hand  retrieves  his  line, 
while  he  devoutly  prays  It  may  be  attached  to  the 
reel  lying  upon  the  lake-bed  fathoms  below,  having 
"somehow"  escaped  from  the  reel  bands.  The 
angler  using  a  surface  or  surface-underwater  lure 
need  never  worry  over  the  whereabouts  of  his  lure, 
unless  fishing  a  stream  with  a  rapid  current.  One 
can  not  say  too  much  in  favor  of  the  type  for  the 
foregoing  reasons,  and  they  are  fish-getters,  as  will 
hereinafter  appear.  To  my  mind,  as  I  have  else- 
where pointed  out  In  this  work,  the  most  efficacious 
school  for  the  would-be  caster  is  actual  casting  with 
surface  lures  over  water  inhabited  by  bass  or  other 


lOO     CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

fish.  For  practice  casting  the  surface  lure  has  all  the 
advantages  of  the  tournament  weight,  with  the 
added  advantage  of  actually  duplicating  fishing 
conditions. 

The  surface  lure  is  more  adapted  to  lake  fishing 
than  to  river  casting  simply  because  lake  denizens 
are  more  apt  to  be  surface  feeders.  Mind  you,  I  am 
not  saying  that  bass  do  not  feed  upon  the  surface  of 
rivers  and  surface  lures  should  therefore  never  be 
used.  All  depends  upon  the  character  of  the  river; 
one  with  slow  current  and  many  obstructions  is 
morally  certain  to  produce  surface  feeders;  while, 
upon  the  other  hand,  a  deep,  free  river  is  apt  to 
prove  the  home  of  bottom  feeders.  Where  the  cur- 
rent is  swift  and  obstructions  numerous,  the  surface 
lure  will  always  manage  to  tangle  up  unless  the 
angler  is  constantly  on  his  guard.  Pre-eminently  the 
surface  lure  is  a  lake  lure.  Where  the  water  shoals 
or  weed-beds  offer  lurking  places  for  foraging  bass, 
there  the  commotion  making  lure  is  certain  to  prove 
a  winner.  For  ten  years  now  I  have  been  experi- 
menting with  various  lures,  keeping  my  records  with 
scientific  accuracy,  and  I  write  with  those  records 
before  me.  The  splash  of  the  lure  striking  upon  the 
surface  of  the  water  six  or  eight  inches  from  the 
marge  of  the  weed-bed  or  snag,  attracts  the  atten- 
tion of  the  bass,  and  he  strikes  instantly  and] 
ferociously,  ofttimes  knocking  the  surface  lure  highj 


CASTING  LURES  loi 

In  air,  sometimes  taking  it  with  a  second  rush  as 
vicious  as  the  first. 

I  am  often  asked  If  the  striking  of  the  lure  upon 
the  water  does  not  have  a  tendency  to  frighten  bass 
and  so  defeat  the  very  purpose  for  which  created. 
An  absolute  answer  is,  of  course,  Impossible,  for  the 
observer  can  not  see  all  that  is  taking  place  beneath 
the  surface.  I  much  doubt  if  one  out  of — say  ten 
bass,  are  frightened  away.  I  have  been  a  careful 
and  painstaking  student-angler  for  years  and  my 
notes  record  few  incidents  of  plain  fright.  My 
method  has  been  as  follows :  When  a  bass  has  mani- 
fested his  presence  by  leaping  for  natural  food,  I 
have  put  my  craft  within  casting  distance,  almost 
always  getting  a  response  instantly. 

Once  when  casting  on  a  narrow  river  I  saw  a  large 
bass  leap  close  to  the  far  bank,  and  then  glimpsed 
him  as  he  darted  beneath  a  log.  The  water  was 
perfectly,  almost  abnormally  clear.  I  cast  well  be- 
low the  log,  where  the  fish  had  been  feeding.  In- 
stantly I  saw  him  dart  out  from  the  other  side  and 
dash  away.  Manifestly  that  fish  was  frightened 
by  the  splash  of  the  lure,  though  perhaps  he  had 
captured  the  object  which  had  first  attracted  his 
attention  and  argued  that  a  second  splash  was 
suspicious,  which  would  be  attributing  a  high  order 
of  intelligence  to  a  mere  fish.  I  presume  the  real 
reason  for  the  fish's  flight  was  because  he  caught  a 
glimpse  of  my  arm  movement;  furthermore,  he  may 


102      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

have  satisfied  his  hunger.  (Parenthetically:  I  be- 
lieve that  I  am  largely  successful  in  angling  simply 
because  I  attribute  almost  human  powers  of  reason- 
ing to  the  game  I  seek.  ''Absurd?'*  Well,  maybe, 
but  think  it  over.) 

Another  much  discussed  question  is  the  attractivity 
of  commotion  making  lures,  those  lures  with  splash- 
ing paddle-wheels,  so  to  speak.  All  depends  upon 
the  mood  of  the  fish.  There  are  days  when  nothing 
is  quite  so  good  as  a  certain  lure  much  affected  by 
me,  which  makes  all  the  disturbance  of  a  Mississippi 
River  steamboat  of  the  stern  wheel  type,  a  lure  good 
along  the  edges  of  weed-beds  when  the  water  is 
glassy  and  the  bass  disinclined  to  bite.  It  actually 
would  appear  that  such  a  lure  compels  the  fish  to 
rise;  they  must  attack,  willy  nilly.  Somehow  these 
steamboat  lures  have  never  appealed  to  me  from 
the  view-point  of  sportsmanship,  though  that  is 
probably  mere  sentiment.  However,  one  does  not 
see  so  many  of  the  type  these  days,  which  is  a  matter 
worthy  of  comment.  Looking  over  my  collection, 
which  while  large  is  in  nowise  complete,  I  see  but 
few  of  the  commotion  variety.  As  already  re- 
marked, I  find  them  good  along  the  edges  of  weed- 
beds  early  in  the  morning  and  again  late  in  the 
afternoon  when  a  midsummer  calm  has  glassed  the 
water  and  all  Nature  seems  to  withdraw  within  her- 
self. As  a  river  lure  I  have  not  found  It  very 
efficacious,  the  current  playing  havoc  with  its  motion. 


CASTING  LURES  103 

For  the  commotion  lure  light  colors  are  best, 
though  perhaps  the  matter  Is  not  one  of  importance, 
the  attractivity  of  the  lure  being  found  In  Its  motion 
rather  than  color.  I  have  experimented  at  length 
here,  and  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  nothing 
equals  the  pure  white,  though  a  dash  of  red  or  even 
black,  will  do  no  harm.  While  upon  this  question, 
why  do  not  the  makers  give  us  jet  black  lures  ?  Seen 
against  the  sky  from  below  they  are  more  conspicu- 
ous than  those  painted  red,  blue  or  white.  One  of 
the  commotion  lures  was  painted  a  jet  black  and 
tried  out  in  all  sorts  of  weather  and  water  condi- 
tions. I  found  It  very  attractive  on  sunshiny  days, 
ind  after  night  %ad  set  in.  We  are  going  to  have 
^more  black  floating  lures  In  the  future.  While  white 
has  proven  best  on  average  waters,  there  are  condi- 
tions existing  where  black  seems  more  attractive. 
Given  white  bottom,  clear  water  and  bright  skies,  I 
would  advise  the  rodster  to  experiment  with  black 
lures. 

When  the  caster  turns  to  the  unemotional  lures, 
he  discovers  that  their  name  Is  legion.  Some  slip 
through  the  water,  scarcely  creating  a  ripple,  others 
pile  up  a  little  wave  ahead  or  shoot  a  couple  of  jets 
sky-ward,  while  still  others  dart  and  ricochet  from 
left  to  right,  or  right  to  left,  with  a  motion  like  that 
of  a  wounded  duck.  Which  style  Is  best?  Frankly, 
I  do  not  know,  perhaps  there  is  no  "best."  My 
preference,  however,  Is  for  the  lure  with  some  mo- 


I04      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

tion.  In  form  I  prefer  those  with  a  band  or  metal 
ring  at  the  head,  thinking  that  it  adds  attractivity 
as  well  as  erratic  movement. 

A  great  many  of  the  modern  surface  lures  are  so 
arranged  that  they  may  be  changed  to  under-waters 
by  simply  shifting  a  weight,  changing  a  metal  guide, 
or  the  point  of  line  attachment.  Indeed,  few  abso- 
lutely surface  lures  are  being  produced  today;  the 
general  purpose  lure  has  arrived.  So  to  illustrate 
this  paragraph  I  have  selected  a  few  lures  from  my 
collection  which  are  absolutely  surface  lures,  can 
not  be  changed  to  underwaters  or  semi-underwaters, 
are  built  as  surface  attractors.  I  have  found  these 
lures  good  alike  upon  lake  and  stream  and  under 
varying  conditions  of  weather  and  water.  When  the 
bass  are  feeding  upon  the  surface  these  lures  will 
prove  effective,  as  will  many  another  in  my  collec- 
tion. The  surface  lure  is  for  surface  fishing,  so 
do  not  think  they  are  unattractive  when  the  fish 
are  feeding  deep  and  therefore  do  not  win  strikes. 
Use  the  lure  the  fish  wants,  not  the  one  you  want 
him  to  want.  Many  fellows  write  me  that  they 
have  "thought  up"  something  new  in  the  way  of, 
a  lure,  but  nine  times  out  of  ten  I  find  that  they 
have  been  working  along  preconceived  lines  re- 
garding what  bass  ought  to  want,  not  what  they 
actually  do  desire.  There  is  still  room  for  lures, 
especially  of  the  surface  type. 


CASTING  LURES  105 

SURFACE-UNDERWATER    LURES 

As  to  whether  the  surface-underwater  was  an  in- 
vention or  discovery  I  am  unable  to  say.  I  am  in- 
clined to  think  it  the  latter.  Some  one  discovered 
that  a  stick  whittled  into  a  certain  shape,  if  drawn 
through  the  water,  would  submerge,  coming  to  the 
surface  as  soon  as  the  tension  on  the  line  was  re- 
leased. Such — with  hooks  added — is  the  modern 
surface-underwater  lure,  though  movement  is  pro- 
duced by  various  schemes  and  attachments.  I  can 
well  remember  the  first  lure  of  the  kind  that  came 
my  way.  I  saw  it  in  a  tackle  store  window,  the  oc- 
casion of  many  a  contemptuous  remark,  the  butt  of 
many  a  joke.  While  I,  like  other  anglers,  made  all 
manner  of  sport  of  the  thing,  stole  back  and  pur- 
chased it  on  the  sly  for  a  surreptitious  try-out.  Not 
that  I  thought  it  possessed  any  great  virtue,  but  be- 
cause I  have  never  been  able  to  pass  up  any  new 
idea  in  tackle  without  investigating.  It  was  not 
much  of  a  lure  as  lures  go  in  this  year  of  grace,  1920, 
just  a  slant-nosed  block  of  green  painted  wood,  un- 
like any  fish  food,  seen  or  imagined.  That  night  I 
fished  an  unfrequented  "bass  hole"  when  I  was 
reasonably  certain  no  one  would  happen  by.  I  cast 
and  began  to  reel.  Down,  down  went  the  lure. 
Now,  Fate,  Luck,  or  whatever  it  Is  that  rules  in  the 
lives  of  fishermen,  had  Its  eye  on  me  and  my  new 
wrinkle.  First,  a  big  pike  took  the  lure,  then  a 
goodly  bass  connected  up,  followed  at  the  next  cast 


io6      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

by  what  Henry  Guy  Carlton  calls  a  "humdinger." 
Perhaps,  probably  my  success  was  the  result  of  a 
combination  of  fortuitous  circumstances,  but  then  I 
gave,  and  still  give,  all  the  credit  to  that  first  sur- 
face-underwater. 

The  surface-underwater  possesses  many  of  the 
advantages  of  the  underwater  and  none  of  its  disad- 
vantages. Of  course  there  are  times  when  the  abso- 
lute underwater  is  the  successful  lure,  as  there  are 
occasions  and  water  where  the  simon  pure  surface 
lure  is  the  attractive  thing;  the  latter  has  been 
treated  in  this  chapter  and  the  former  remains  to  be 
discussed.  The  great  advantage  of  the  surface- 
underwater  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  surface  lure, 
it  will  remain  upon  the  surface  if  the  caster  does  not 
reel,  coming  to  the  surface  whenever  he  stops.  Its 
pecuhar  advantage  is  found  in  its  ability  to  sound 
the  depths  at  the  behest  of  the  caster.  The  motion 
of  the  lure  is  as  erratic  as  an  angler  well  can  wish, 
brought  about  by  the  shape  of  the  fore-part,  fluting, 
or  attachment.  The  first  surface-underwaters  used 
by  me  simply  dove  down,  though  to-day  almost  any 
movement  can  be  secured,  from  an  up  and  down 
wave-like  motion  to  an  erratic  gyratory  cork-screw. 
All  else  being  equal,  I  think  the  more  eccentric  the 
movement  of  the  submerged  lure,  the  greater  its 
attractivity.  As  to  whether  or  not  its  resemblance 
to  a  "wounded  minnow"  has  any  bearing  upon  the 
matter    is    exceedingly   problematical.      Parentheti- 


CASTING  LURES  lo; 

cally,  I  much  doubt  if  we  should  speak  of  a  lure  as 
attractive,  rather  of  its  power  to  attract  attention, 
for  I  am  convinced  that  it  is  the  movement  and  not 
the  lure  itself  that  impels  the  fish  to  strike. 

As  win  be  discovered  from  a  study  of  surface- 
underwaters  there  is  not  as  wide  a  divergence  in 
shape  of  this  class  of  "plugs'*  as  there  is  of  the  sim- 
ple surface  lures.  The  minnow  type  is  the  prevalent 
form.  Naturally  a  lure  built  to  swim  beneath  the 
surface  will  be  patterned  after  swimming  animals ;  in 
no  other  manner  can  we  achieve  our  purpose.  It  is 
exceedingly  difficult  to  produce  a  quick  side-wise 
movement,  like  the  dart  of  a  frightened  minnow, 
unless  you  duplicate  to  a  greater  or  less  degree  the 
form  of  the  fish.  Consequently  as  you  will  discover, 
that  is  the  generally  accepted  shape. 

A  great  many  lures  are  submerged  through 
weights  or  metal  attachments,  while  still  others  dive 
because  the  head  or  body  is  shaped  to  produce  that 
result.  Naturally  I  may  not  mention  all  of  any  given 
type,  simply  mention  a  few  illustrative  of  general 
principles.  It  is  surprising  what  a  change  a  single 
groove  will  make  in  the  action  of  a  lure.  One  much 
employed  by  me  has  a  slash  upon  either  side  the 
body,  extending  from  near  the  head  well  back;  that 
lure  will  dive  and  richochet  in  a  most  confusing  and 
attention  attracting  manner.  Another  has  simply  a 
hollow  on  the  upper  side,  extending  down  to  the 
under  surface,  giving  it  a  shovel-nosed  appearance; 


k 


io8      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

what  that  lure  will  do  when  in  the  water  is  most 
surprising.  Another  maker  has  bored  a  tapering 
hole  from  near  the  head  on  the  under  surface  diago- 
nally up  and  back  toward  the  rear;  as  the  lure  is 
drawn  through  the  water,  the  water  is  forced  in  at 
the  large  orfice,  back  and  out  through  the  small 
hole.  I  know  of  no  lure  more  fish-like  in  its  move- 
ments. The  grooving  of  the  head  is  various,  from 
the  shovel-nose  just  described,  to  a  simple  quad- 
ruple fluted  head. 

Another  method  used  to  cause  the  lure  to  dive  is 
to  attach  the'  line  slightly  back  of  the  point  of  the 
nose,  often  used  in  combination  with  shaped  head  or 
metal  attachment.  The  angler  can  alter  the  motion 
of  a  lure  by  simply  attaching  the  line  at  a  different 
point,  though  to  remove  the  screw-eyes  sometimes 
used  IS  to  break  the  enamel  and  so  admit  water  to 
the  wood,  the  disasterous  consequences  of  which  has 
elsewhere  been  pointed  out.  Some  makers  have  a 
patent  attachment,  allowing  three  or  four  different 
points  of  line  connection.  Others  allow  the  caster 
to  handle  the  lure  ^'either  end  foremost,"  the  action 
differing  with  the  connection.  One  can  not  enlarge 
too  much  upon  the  result  of  line  attachment,  or  of 
reversing  ends,  even  when  the  latter  was  not  in  the  jj 
mind  of  the  maker.  A  bit  of  originality  on  the  part 
of  the  angler,  combined  with  a  study  of  lures  will 
result  in  changing  the  action  of  many  a  familiar  lure. 

Not  so  long  ago  my  leader  fouled  with  one  of  the 


CASTING  LURES  109 

side  hooks,  the  lure  darting  from  side  to  side  in 
wide  circles,  and  yet  it  was  just  that  motion  a  three- 
pound  large-mouth  found  irresistible.  "Happened 
so?"  Wait.  I  could  not  catch  fish  when  I  used  the 
lure  as  the  inventor  planned  it  should  be  employed, 
but  with  the  leader  attached  to  one  of  the  side  hooks, 
I  caught  three  bass.  I  give  the  reader  the  incident 
for  what  it  is  worth.  My  explanation  at  the  time 
was  that  the  bass  were  "lazy,"  and  the  slow-moving 
lure — to  reel  rapidly  was  to  pull  the  plug  out  of  the 
water — appealed  to  them;  and  then,  the  motion  was 
"different." 

I  have  already  mentioned  the  metal  attachments — 
collars,  shovels,  wings,  etc.,  which  are  fastened  to 
the  lures  to  compel  them  to  sound  the  depths.  There 
is  no  doubt  that  the  glittering  of  the  metal  also  at- 
tracts the  bass's  attention,  so  serves  a  double  pur- 
pose. As  already  remarked,  so  many  of  these  vari- 
ous features  are  combined  in  a  single  lure  that  it  is 
exceedingly  difficult  to  write  of  a  single  attachment, 
or  method  of  submerging  separately.  In  some  sur- 
face-underwaters, these  tnetal  disks  or  guides  are 
attached  in  such  a  way  as  to  resemble  fins  when  the 
lure  is  drawn  through  the  water.  Undoubtedly  we 
have  not  seen  the  end  of  the  production  of  metal 
guides,  instead,  are  only  at  the  beginning.  As  one 
sits  before  a  well  supplied  cabinet  of  lures  he  can 
not  help  being  impressed  by  the  infinite  possibilities 
of    the    surface-underwater    forms.      I    sometimes 


no     CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

Imagine  that  the  half-formed  plan  which  I  am  cher- 
ishing in  the  back-chambers  of  my  mind  will  result 
In  a  more  attractive  and  successful  surface-under- 
water than  has  yet  been  produced.  That  is  the  con- 
ceit of  your  dyed-in-the-wool  caster. 

With  the  surface  lure  It  is  the  initial  splash,  the 
commotion  at  the  beginning  of  the  in-reeling,  which 
attracts  the  fish's  attention,  while  with  the  surface- 
underwater,  it  is  the  "lame  duck''  motion  of  the 
moving  lure  which  inveigles  the  touchy  bass  to  at- 
tack. The  lure  which  travels  in  a  straight  line  be- 
neath the  surface  Is  not  as  attractive  to  the  surface 
feeding  fish  as  the  one  which  dashes  about  In  a  sort 
of  subaqueous  Mad  Dervish  dance.  But,  as  was 
emphasized  at  the  beginning  of  this  chapter,  there 
are  times  when  the  fish  prefer  the  all-surface  lure, 
when  they  are  feeding  on  the  surface.  For  an  all 
around  lure,  for  use  day  in  and  day  out,  in  all  sorts 
of  water,  and  under  varying  weather  conditions,  I 
would  select  the  surface-underwaters,  for  they  com- 
bine  the  good  features  of  both  the  surface  and  un-  J| 
derwater  styles.  As  to  which  of  the  many  lures 
upon  the  market  to  select  Is  more  than  I  know.  I 
would  not  hazard  a  guess  and  be  well  assured  it 
would  be  but  a  guess  at  best.  I  am  always  prone  to 
smile  when  I  read  of  some  fellow  who,  after  trying 
half  a  dozen  or  more  lures  without  success,  turns  in  j 
desperation  to  "Prof.  Bllnklty  Blink's  Blunklty  1 
Blunk  Plug,"  and  captures  a  back  load  of  heavy  fish    I 


CASTING  LURES  iii 

In  less  than  half  an  hour.  "Don't  I  believe  it?''  Of 
course  I  do.  Here  is  the  truth:  the  day  after,  that 
particular  surface-underwater  would  have  failed,  and 
some  of  the  unsuccessful  plugs  won.  Sufficient  unto 
the  day  is  the  plug  therefore. 

UNDERWATER  LURES 

While  undoubtedly  underwater  lures  were  the 
first  to  appear,  recent  months  have  produced  very 
few,  if  any,  new  Ideas  In  the  type.  It  will  be  said 
that  the  surface-underwaters  have  all  the  advantages 
of  the  deep  swimming  lures  and  none  of  their  dis- 
advantages, which  is  in  part  true,  but  not  wholly. 
That  there  is  need  for  lures  of  the  deep  swimming 
variety  I  am  firmly  convinced,  and  so  consequentially 
I  expect  some  original  lures  to  be  placed  upon  the 
market.  Since  the  now  famous  "Chippewa"  ap- 
peared I  can  not  remember  a  single  underwater  built 
after  original  lines.  Perhaps  I  am  wholly  wrong  in 
this,  for  no  single  individual  may  keep  in  touch  with 
a  subject  of  such  vast  proportions,  though  I  think  I 
am  right  a  measurable  portion  of  the  time. 

The  deep  swimming  lure  meets  a  well  defined  need 
for  a  "bait"  when  fish  lie  deep.  There  are  days  and 
days  when  bass  will  not  feed  upon  the  surface,  even 
as  there  are  lakes  where  they  never  do.  The  live 
bait  fisherman  meets  the  problem  with  heavily 
weighted  hooks  baited  with  frogs  or  minnows,  wait- 
ing patiently  for  a  "bite."     Surface  plugs  are  of  no 


112      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

avail  and  surface-underwaters,  unless  weighted  to 
make  them  absolute  underwaters,  are  almost  lureless. 
I  speak  from  years  of  experience  and  experimenta- 
tion. I  can  take  almost  any  surface  lure,  attach  a 
sinker  in  front  of  the  gimp  of  sufficient  weight  to 
attain  the  required  depth,  and  catch  fish  when  they 
haunt  the  bottom.  However,  there  are  underwater 
lures  that  will  perform  the  service  more  satisfac- 
torily. The  angler  can  govern  the  depth  at  which 
the  lure  travels  by  reeling  slow  or  fast.  Of  course 
the  heavier  the  lure  the  faster  it  needs  must  move 
in  order  to  keep  free  of  the  bottom. 

It  is  surprising  what  a  slow-moving  underwater 
will  accomplish  deep  down  on  a  hot  mid-summer  day. 
Cast  it  out  into  deep  water  and  let  it  sink  well  down 
before  you  begin  to  reel,  then  slowly  retrieve  the 
lure.  I  need  not  add  that  "any  old  place"  will  not 
do,  bass  have  hot  weather  lurking  places  even  as 
they  have  preferred  shallows  for  surface  feeding. 
I  am  acquainted  with  one  bass-lake,  twenty  rods  or 
so  from  the  outlet  of  which  there  is  a  deep  hole — 
the  natives  say  ^'bottomless,"  of  course — where  bass 
retired  during  hot  portions  of  the  day.  I  discovered 
accidently  that  to  slowly  troll  a  spoon,  thirty  feet 
under  water,  was  to  stir  those  lazy  bass  to  attack. 
Naturally  it  was  only  a  step  to  underwater  lures  of 
the  minnow  type :  they  worked.  On  rivers,  too,  the 
angler  often  discovers  that  his  minnow  type  of  lure 
will  bring  net  results  in  a  manner  truly  surprising. 


CASTING  LURES  113 

I  am  not  telling  you  which  lure  to  employ;  that  you 
must  determine  for  yourself;  all  have  taken  fish  and 
will  take  fish  again. 

It  Is  truly  surprising  how  attractive  a  simple 
wooden  or  metal  minnow,  unadorned  by  spoon  or 
feather,  will  prove  occasionally.  Unfortunately  the 
makers  of  that  type  of  minnow  apparently  are  not 
bass  fans,  for  the  hooks  attached  are  trailers,  while, 
as  pointed  out  before,  black  bass  always  strike  from 
the  side.  Not  always,  therefore,  will  the  eager 
angler  hook  his  fish,  saying,  perhaps,  that  the  bass 
are  "biting  short,"  when  they  would  be  captured  If 
only  his  lure  were  provided  with  a  body  hook.  A 
rear  hook  is  all  right  for  pike,  pike-perch  and  trout, 
but  almost  useless  for  side-striking  bass.  I  have 
taken  a  well-known  metal  minnow — German  silver 
— bored  a  hole  just  aft  of  the  pectorial  fins,  or 
rather  where  those  fins  should  be,  attaching  a  hook. 
For  the  reader's  information  I  will  only  add,  it 
worked.  The  simple  minnow,  wood  or  metal,  is  a 
good  lure  for  deep  fishing,  casting  or  trolling. 

It  Is  only  a  step,  and  a  natural  one,  from  the  sim- 
ple minnow,  to  the  minnow  shaped  lure  provided 
with  whirlers,  sclntilating  bits  of  metal  fore  and  aft, 
which  adds  wonderfully  to  a  lure's  attractiveness. 
The  angler  can  not  help  being  Impressed  with  the 
constancy  of  the  minnow  form  in  this  class  of  lures, 
some  round,  some  four-sided,  others  almost  flat;  all 
appearing  fish-like  when  drawn  through  the  water. 


114      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

one  so  much  resembling  a  perch  that  a  human  might 
easily  be  deceived.  I  have  gone  over  my  collection 
somewhat  carefully  and  am  surprised  at  the  number 
of  lures,  from  the  factories  of  various  makers,  that 
closely  resemble  these  lures.  They  have  come  to  be 
called  commonly,  "Dowagiacs,''  though  of  a  truth 
many  have  no  right  to  the  name,  that  being  the 
property  of  the  Heddon  people,  their  "trade  mark." 
Now  and  then  one  happens  upon  an  underwater 
in  which  the  body  itself  whirls  or  moves,  sometimes 
a  blade  within  the  body  gives  the  whole  lure  an  ap- 
pearance of  movement.  I  am  a  little  astonished  that 
makers  have  not  developed  the  idea  further,  for 
such  lures  are  winners  always.  In  underwater  fish- 
ing, when  all  lures  fail,  these  may  turn  defeat  into 
victory.  I  know  anglers,  fishers  of  lakes  and  rivers, 
who  can  not  be  induced  to  try  any  other  type  of  lure, 
insisting  that  only  those  with  moving  bodies  are  truly 
attractive,  thus  proving  their  inalienable  right  to  the 
title  of  anglers.  Now  we  all  know  that  almost  any 
lure  under  certain  conditions  is  enticing,  that  there 
is  no  such  thing  as  a  "best"  plug;  however,  amid 
underwaters  these  are  good.  Here  again  the  writer 
has  some  original  ideas  he  hopes  to  work  out  in  the 
years  to  come,  ideas  which,  if  they  do  not  bring  him 
fortune,  may  at  least  bring  him  a  sort  of  fame.  I 
like  the  "barber  pole"  lure  for  lake  fishing,  while 
the  one  with  the  "spoon"  within  the  body  seems 
more  attractive  in  running  water. 


» 


CASTING  LURES  115 

Remains  to  mention  lures  with  additions,  so  to 
speak.  There  are  many  lures  of  the  type  upon  the 
market.  The  buck-tail  appendage  covers  the  hooks 
and  gives  to  the  lure  a  very  life-like  appearance 
when  drawn  through  the  water.  Just  what  the  idea 
is  where  we  see  the  minnow  chasing  the  fly  I  can  not 
quite  make  out,  whether  or  not  it  is  thought  that  the 
bass  may  choose  between  the  minnow  and  fly  I  am 
not  sure,  but  it  will  take  fish.  As  will  also  that  mica- 
covered  plug,  unlike  anything  that  ever  swam  In  the 
water.  By  the  way.  It  was  that  lure  which  called 
my  attention  to  the  possibilities  of  black  colored 
plugs,  perhaps  the  coming  color  for  certain  waters. 

Which  brings  us  naturally  back  to  the  color  ques- 
tion somewhat  lengthily  discussed  In  the  beginning 
of  this  chapter.  The  rodster  reading  these  pages 
will  understand  that  almost  all  lures  may  be  secured 
in  an  infinite  variety  of  colors,  from  dark  to  light, 
though  I  think  among  anglers  the  great  majority 
would  vote  for  green,  or  green  and  white  In  combina- 
tion. As  has  been  pointed  out  several  times  al- 
ready, there  Is  no  "best"  color,  all  depending  upon 
the  time  of  the  year  and  the  character  of  the  water 
fished.  Take  the  lures  mentioned  In  this  chapter,  the 
makers  produce  them  In  a  great  variety  of  colors,  so 
that  If  the  angler  Is  wedded  to  any  given  shape  or 
form  he  can  secure  It  in  the  hue  to  match  any  water 
condition.  My  predelictlon  for  red,  or  red  and 
white   in   combination  is  well  known;  yet  only  the 


i 


ii6      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

other  day,  an  angler  with  a  blue  lure,  beat  me  in  an 
hour's  casting,  fishing  the  same  water  from  the  same 
boat.  Color  is  not  as  important  perhaps  as  we  think 
it  is. 

So  I  draw  this  discussion  of  artificial  lures  to  a 
close,  realizing  how  incomplete  and  unsatisfactory 
it  is.  Right  now  it  is  "up  to  date,"  but  to-morrow  it 
may  be  ancient  history.  Any  day  some  ambitious 
and  bold  rodster  may  stumble  upon  a  lure  better 
than  anything  now  in  use.  In  these  pages  I  have 
simply  tried  to  show  the  lines  of  development,  the 
while  dropping  a  few  hints  which  may  be  of  more 
or  less  value  to  the  bass  fan.  Remember  always,  of 
greater  value  than  form,  color,  attachment  or  ap- 
pendage, is  the  knowledge  and  skill  of  the  caster. 
"Knowledge  and  skill,"  these  are  the  two  important 
requisites.  While  the  big  fish  may  happen  to  take 
the  tyro's  lure  once  and  again,  the  rodster  who  takes 
fish  day  in  and  day  out  is  the  one  who  understands 
the  habits  of  his  quarry,  and  knows  how  to  place  his 
lure  where  it  should  go.  The  best  tackle  in  all  the 
world  will  not  avail  unless  the  angler  possesses  skill, 
neither  will  skill  alone  win  without  knowledge  of 
fish.  I  presume  that  this  chapter  will  come  as  a  sort 
of  revelation  to  some  anglers,  who  do  not  know  that 
there  are  so  many  lures  ready  for  their  use.  My 
collection  is  probably  in  nowise  complete,  yet  I  pos- 
sess nearly  200  lures  of  the  "plug"  type,  from  sur- 
face lures  down  through  the  list  to  underwaters.     I 


I 


CASTING  LURES 


117 


have  studied  them  carefully,  *tried  them  out  under 
varying  conditions,  caught  fish  with  all  types;  but 
here  I  confess  to  you,  the  end  is  not  yet,  the  ultimate 
lure  has  not  been  produced,  perhaps  never  will  be, 
but  try  your  hand  at  it.  What  I  have  learned  of  the 
subject  I  have  tried  to  set  down  In  this  rather  lengthy 
chapter;  may  It  be  of  some  aid  to  the  caster,  and  my 
further  services  are  yours  to  command. 


Note:  The  gathering  and  trying-out  of  these  luies 
has  covered  a  period  of  some  twelve  years,  conse- 
quentially some  probably  can  not  be  secured  in  the 
market  to-day,  nevertheless,  they  serve  to  illustrate  the 
evolution  of  the  "plug." 


CHAPTER  Y 

HOUSING  THE  TACKLE 

The  bait-caster  faces  no  greater  problem  than  that 
of  housing  his  tackle,  for  the  more  valuable  his  out- 
fit, the  more  anxious  will  he  be  to  store  it  in  a  safe 
and  get'-at-able  form.  Parenthetically:  your  true 
devotee  of  the  gentle  art  is  not  satisfied  merely  to 
have  his  "rods  and  reels  and  traces"  stored  "where 
neither  moth  nor  rust  doth  corrupt;"  he  desires  that 
they  be  where  he  can  get  at  them  easily  and  quickly, 
even  in  the  closed  season.  For  the  joy  of  actual 
angling  is  not  commensurate  with  that  of  sitting, 
open  tackle  box  upon  the  table,  blizzard  raging  out- 
side, fishing  in  retrospect  and  anticipation.  Indeed, 
the  tackle  must  at  all  times  be  in  a  get-at-able  shape. 
While,  as  suggested,  the  angler  with  valuable  tackle 
will  desire  a  safe  way  of  storing  his  possessions,  the 
one  who  can  afford  only  moderate  priced  tools  should 
care  for  them  with  even  greater  solicitude.  As  often 
the  pretty  girl  will  have  a  plentitude  of  admirers 
while  her  plain  sister  sits  as  a  wall-flower,  so  the  ex- 
pensive rod  and  reel  will  be  cared  for  with  loving 
attention,  and  the  moderate  priced  outfit  kicked 
about  the  wood-shed  between  fishing  trips  and  fish- 

ii8 


I 


HOUSING  THE  TACKLE  119 

ing  seasons.  "A  place  for  everything,  and  every- 
thing in  Its  place,"  Is  the  slogan  of  your  true  disciple 
of  Father  Izaak. 

A  brief  paragraph  or  two  must  suffice  for  rod 
cases,  important  though  the  subject  is.  The  wood 
rod,  of  whatever  material,  should  ordinarily  be 
fastened  to  a  cloth  covered  wood  form,  especially 
if  there  is  danger  of  its  receiving  rough  treatment; 
always,  if  the  outer  case  is  but  a  sack.  Far  better 
is  the. stiff  case  covered  with  leather.  Some  of  these 
stiff  cases  are  made  of  fiber,  while  others  are  con- 
structed of  metal,  preferably  aluminum,  covered 
with  sole-leather.  The  fiber  case,  though  leather 
covered,  is  apt  to  warp  and  so  present  an  unsightly 
appearance.  In  the  stiff  case  a  rod  will  not  need  the 
wood  form,  but  should  be  provided  with  a  parti- 
tioned velvet  bag.  Many  of  the  cases  upon  the 
market  are  not  of  sufficient  caliber;  they  should  be 
large  enough  to  accommodate  two  rods,  so  obviate 
two  cases  when  two  rods  are  desired.  A  good  fiber 
case  covered  with  imitation  leather  can  be  secured 
for  $1.00,  while  a  metal  tube,  covered  with  real 
leather  will  cost  somewhere  in  the  neighborhood  of 
$5.00.  The  $5.00  case  you  can  almost  use  as  a 
hand-spike,  while  the  $1.00  one  may  break  under 
unreasonable  treatment:  both  are  waterproof  and 
will  protect  the  rod  with  jealous  care.  When  a 
wood  rod  is  fastened  to  a  wood  form,  care  should 
be  exercised  lest  it  be  tied  too  tightly  and  so  warped. 


I20      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

The  steel  rod  is  usually  stored  in  a  partitioned  cloth 
bag,  for  it  will  not  warp  through  exposure  to  the 
weather  and  Is  not  easily  broken;  however,  even  for 
the  steel,  the  handled  leather  case  is  a  great  conve- 
nience and  protection.  That  De  Luxe  steel  rod, 
mentioned  when  we  were  discussing  steel  casters,  is 
provided  with  a  beautiful  partioned  glove  leather 
case  closed  with  glove  fasteners;  as  the  rod  is  the 
last  word  In  steel  construction,  so  the  case  Is  the  last 
word  In  rod  receptacles.  *    . 

Just  one  concluding  word  of  admonition:  if  you 
are  shipping  a  rod,  be  sure  and  fasten  It  to  a  firm 
support,  even  though  the  wood  form  seems  strong. 
Recently  I  received  a  one-piece  split  bamboo  by 
Parcel  Post  and  when  it  reached  me  the  form  was 
broken  In  the  middle,  though  the  rod  was  still  intact 
but  possessed  of  an  Irreparable  kink.  (Of  course, 
when  tramping  to  a  stream  you  will  not  carry  your 
rod  in  a  fiber  case,  the  velvet  form  being  sufficient 
and  much  less  cumbersome,  but  If  you  value  the  rod 
you  will  handle  it  with  circumspection.) 

If  an  angler  has  considerable  money  to  spend  and 
delights  in  luxury,  he  will  Invest  In  a  rod-trunk  such 
as  the  salmon  fishermen  of  plethoric  bank  accounts 
effect.  However,  I  do  not  want  the  reader  to  think 
that  I  regard  these  trunks  as  altogether  luxuries. 
The  user  of  a  one-piece  rod  such  as  was  described 
In  the  opening  chapter  of  this  volume,  must  needs 
have  his  caster  protected;  the  reader  will  remember 


HOUSING  THE  TACKLE 


1.  O  Reel  should  be  carried  in  a 

bag,  even  if  in  a  case. 

2.  Sole-leather  case. 

3.  Buckskin  bag. 

4.  Velvet-covered  form. 


5.  Stiff  sole-leather  case. 

6.  Canvas  case. 

7.  Fibre  case. 

8.  Velvet  sack. 

9.  Partitioned  bag. 


HOUSING  THE  TACKLE  121 

that  the  only  Indictment  I  brought  against  the  long 
rod  was  the  inconvenience  of  transportation,  which 
would  be  largely  obviated  if  checked  as  baggage. 
Rod-trunks  are  well  made,  and  range  in  price  from 
$10.00  for  the  cheaper,  to  $25.00  or  so  for  the  bet- 
ter grades.  It  might  require  some  courage  to  un- 
strap a  rod-trunk  at  a  bass-Inn,  but  even  so  the  lover 
of  a  one-piece  rod  could  endure  the  jokes  with  equa- 
nimity if  he  took  Into  consideration  convenience  in 
traveling  as  well  as  the  condition  of  his  casters. 
Rod-trunks  are  going  to  be  more  common. 

All  that  has  been  said  of  rods  applies  with  equal 
force  to  reels.  There  is  one  best  receptacle  for  the 
winch,  viz.,  a  hard  sole  leather  case  large  enough  to 
contain  a  reel  when  enclosed  in  its  shammy  sack. 
Even  If  the  reel  is  to  be  carried  in  a  tackle-box,  as 
will  hereinafter  appear,  It  Is  unwise  to  neglect  the 
leather  covering,  never  under  any  circumstances,  the 
shammy  bag.  I  have  had  a  reel-handle  badly  bent 
even  in  a  leather  case  when  carried  in  a  suit-case. 
Naturally,  when  tramping  to  a  stream,  the  angler 
will  not  carry  the  sole-leather  case,  but  neither  will 
he  place  the  reel  In  his  pocket  without  the  protec- 
tion of  the  reel-bag.  When  we  were  children  we 
were  taught  that  the  "pleasant  land"  was  made  of 
"grains  of  sand,"  and  a  single  grain  is  enough  to 
wreck  the  finest  reel  ever  made  If  it  find  lodgment 
In  the  bearings.  This  reel-bag  the  caster  can  make 
from  any  pliable  bit  of  leather,  closely  woven  cloth 


122      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

serving  at  a  pinch.  Some  years  ago  a  friend  sent 
me  a  beautiful  tanned  fawn  skin,  as  soft  and  fine  as 
shammy;  from  it  we  made  many  a  reel-bag,  as  well 
as  a  number  of  other  articles  well  worth  while. 

The  last  word  has  not  been  said  regarding  tackle- 
boxes,  neither  has  the  perfect  box  been  produced. 
Nearly  every  bait-caster  with  time  and  opportunity 
has  tried  his  hand  at  building  a  box,  and  as  a  result 
we  have  seen  boxes  varying  in  size  from  little  hand 
cases  up  to  veritable  trunks.  Every  angler  is  wedded 
to  his  own  Ideas,  thinks  he  has,  or  can  produce  the 
perfect  receptacle  for  plugs,  reels  and  tools.  I  have 
seen  bait-casters  clambering  Into  a  boat  toting  a 
tackle-box  the  size  of  a  double  suit  case,  in  yvhich 
reposed  plugs  without  number,  reels,  tools,  lines,  re- 
volvers, in  fact  anything  a  fisherman  might  need  In 
his  wildest  moments,  sometimes  even  a  compartment 
for  a  flask  of  "liquid  bait."  "The  game  is  not  worth 
the  candle."  Such  a  case  is  all  right  for  the  house 
and  camp,  but  to  my  mind  is  out  of  place  In  a  boat. 
Oh,  we  need  a  small  repair-kit  of  course,  and  a  fair 
selection  of  lures;  most  decidedly  we  do  not  need  a 
whole  hardware  store  and  the  strange  results  of  the 
wild  imaginings  of  the  tackle-maker.  (See  the  next 
chapter  on  repair  outfits.)  There  is  nothing  quite 
so  elegant  as  the  sole-leather  box  of  course,  but 
owing  to  its  cost  we  are  going  to  pass  it  with  this 
word,  for  we  are  more  interested  in  shape  and  size, 
I  take  it,  than  we  are  in  material.    If  the  rodster  can 


I 


HOUSING  THE  TACKLE  123 

afford  It,  then  I  urge  him  by  all  means  to  purchase 
a  sole-leather  case ;  It  Is  the  finest,  most  elegant  thing 
known  to  bass-fans  and  is  well  worth  the  price 
charged  for  It.  Heavy  block  tin  is  perfectly  satis- 
factory, and  can  be  secured  In  almost  all  shapes  and 
sizes  to-day,  certainly  sufficiently  varied  to  meet  the 
Idiosyncrasies  of  the  most  particular  or  peculiar 
angler.  Suppose  we  start  with  a  small  box  and  work 
up  to  those  of  larger  dimensions. 

The  first  one  we  will  consider  Is  that  made  by  the 
Moonlight  Bait  Co.,  Paw  Paw,  Mich.  It  Is  almost 
pocket  size.  Indeed,  can  be  slipped  into  a  great  coat 
pocket  because  of  Its  round  corners  and  flat  shape. 
While  large  enough  for  the  average  angler,  will  hold 
sufficient  tackle  for  a  week-end  or  ordinary  fishing 
trip;  packs  conveniently,  owing  to  its  shape,  and  is 
altogether  about  the  best  small  box  it  has  been  my 
good  fortune  to  stumble  upon.  It  seems  to  me  that 
the  compartments  might  be  better  arranged,  but 
then  I  find  fault  with  every  box  as  do  all  real  casters. 
The  compartments  should  be  built  in  to  Individual 
order,  though  in  fairness  to  the  manufacturers  I 
should  add  that  one  can  select  a  box  with  almost 
any  number  and  shape  of  compartments;  however, 
as  suggested,  there  Is  satisfaction  In  building  your 
own  ''plug-stalls."  The  Moonlight  box  just  men- 
tioned is  ideal  for  the  man  who  goes  out  In  the 
morning  for  a  few  hours'  casting  before  the  business 


124      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

of  the  day,  or  it  can  be  slipped  in  a  hand-bag  for 
emergency  use  when  on  business  bent. 

The  Kentucky  Stamping  Co.  makes  a  box  from 
unusually  heavy  block  tin,  building  a  case  that  will 
stand  hard  usage.  To  the  writer  the  discovery  of 
this  box  was  a  veritable  "find,"  for  it  filled  a  very 
definite  need.  The  real  angler  will  be  impressed 
with  the  unusual  construction — narrow  and  deep, 
with  a  shoulder-strap  which  is  a  great  convenience 
for  the  shore  caster,  as  it  leaves  both  hands  free  at 
all  times.  The  box  contains  three  non-bendable 
trays  with  well  arranged  compartments,  one  tray 
being  arranged  for  two  reels.  In  the  oval  top  there 
is  a  shallow  compartment,  closed  with  a  hinged 
cover,  ideal  for  hooks,  leaders,  or  articles  of  that 
sort.  Outside  dimentions  of  the  case  are,  9  inches 
X  7/4  X  3%.  Can  be  carried  in  the  hand  if  the  ang- 
ler so  desires,  being  fitted  with  a  roomy  handle.  It 
is  exceedingly  difficult  to  write  of  this  box  without 
dealing  in  superlatives. 

There  is  nothing  original  or  striking  about  the 
square  box,  it  is  the  old  time-tried  and  much  used 
case,  the  one  we  have  seen  exposed  for  sale  In  the 
windows  of  tackle  stores  ever  since  the  tin  "cash 
box"  was  adapted  to  the  caster's  needs.  Can  be 
secured  In  almost  any  size  and  shape,  with  an  Infin- 
itely varied  arrangement  of  compartments  and  trays. 
My  favorite  Is  approximately  1 2  inches  x  8  x  4,  with 
a  really  convenient  arrangement  of  compartments. 


SOME  TACKLE  BOXES 


1.  ''Shakespeare,"  carries  rod  and  all.  4. 

2.  "Moonlight,"  go  in  greatcoat  pocket.      5. 

3.  Compact,  has  strap  for  shoulder.  6. 


Old  Reliable,  square. 
Straps  on  the  waist. 
What  happens  when  there  are  no 
partitions  in  a  tray. 


{ 


HOUSING  THE  TACKLE  125 

The  bottom  is  partitioned  for  twelve  lures.  (It  is 
never  the  part  of  wisdom  to  place  two  "plugs"  in  the 
same  section,  for  the  far-famed  love  of  Damon  and 
Pythias  is  as  nothing  when  compared  with  the  af- 
fection of  one  multi-hooked  lure  for  another.)  Then, 
above  these  bottom  stalls  are  two  trays  also  fitted 
for  plugs.  The  end  is  left  open  with  space  for  two 
reels.  The  upper  tray  is  full  size  of  the  box,  with 
a  few  narrow  compartments  in  one  corner  for  sink- 
ers, connecting  links,  wire  traces,  etc.,  etc.  One- 
half  of  the  upper  tray  is  left  undivided  and  is  a 
great  convenience.  All  in  all  I  am  inclined  to  con- 
gratulate myself  upon  my  selection  of  trays  and 
compartments,  for,  as  I  said  at  the  opening  of  this 
paragraph,  you  can  select  anything  that  you  desire, 
almost.  In  tin  they  range  in  price,  according  to 
size  and  finish,  from  50  cents  up  to  $8.00,  or  there- 
abouts. 

Recently  the  Shakespeare  people  produced  a 
''grown  up''  tackle-box  which  is  bound  to  appeal  to 
the  owner  of  a  short-jointed  casting  rod  like  the 
Bristol  No.  33.  In  size  this  box  measures  19  inches 
X  5/4  X  5>^.  Is  built  of  the  very  best  of  heavy  tin, 
decorated  in  fine  shape.  The  bottom  has  compart- 
ments large  enough  to  hold  three  reels  in  their  cases, 
one  long  compartment  that  will  easily  accommodate 
two  rods  like  the  one  mentioned  above — any  rod 
with  joints  under  19  Inches — and  one  small  com- 
partment, 4j^  X  2j4»  with  tray.    The  only  fault  I  can 


126      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

find  with  this  splendid  article  is  the  lack  of  compart- 
ments in  the  upper  tray.  It  is  a  safe  bet  that  if  any 
angler  were  to  place  a  dozen  lures  in  such  a  tray 
they  would  rush  together  as  iron  filings  rush  to  the 
poles  of  a  magnet.  One  might  leave  the  "plugs"  in 
their  original  boxes,  but  the  chances  of  wetting  are 
too  great.  I  have  had  a  number  of  little  tin  boxes 
made,  with  covers  that  will  fit  snugly  over  top  or 
bottom,  just  to  carry  individual  lures.  When  not 
wanting  to  bother  with  any  sort  of  tackle-box,  two 
or  three  of  those  individual  containers  will  slip  into 
my  coat-pocket  without  inconvenience;  and  when 
using  an  open  tray,  placing  the  covers  on  the  bot- 
tom, I  have  compartments  made  to  order.  Some- 
times, some  wise  tackle  maker  will  supply  the  trade 
with  my  individual  box,  and  I  will  not  care  if  he 
patent  my  idea.  If  the  maker  will  place  a  couple 
of  clips  on  the  underside  of  the  cover  to  hold  a  card 
for  the  name  and  number  of  the  lure,  as  well  as  the 
manufacturer's  address,  he  will  gain  my  everlasting 
gratitude.  But  to  return  for  a  closing  word  regard- 
ing the  "Michigan,"  concerning  which  I  am  supposed 
to  be  talking,  there  is  nothing  in  the  market  with 
which  I  am  acquainted  that  can  compare  with  it; 
while  it  will  not  take  the  place  of  any  of  the  boxes 
heretofore  mentioned,  it  fills  a  long  felt  want  and, 
will  I  am  sure,  receive  an  enthusiastic  reception  from 
the  fraternity. 


¥ 


CHAPTER  VI 

REPAIR  KITS  AND  METHODS 

Rods  sometimes  break,  reels  do  balk,  hooks  may 
jam,  hence  this  chapter.  A  man  may  spend  a  week, 
a  fortnight,  even  a  month,  on  lake  or  stream  and  ex- 
perience no  trouble,  meet  with  no  disaster;  while 
upon  the  other  hand,  the  first  day,  aye,  even  the  first 
cast  upon  the  first  day,  may  result  in  a  serious  acci- 
dent demanding  tools,  skill  and  knowledge.  What 
angler  does  not  remember  the  day  the  rod  broke 
short  off  at  the  second  ferrule,  or  when  the  reel  un- 
accountably went  on  a  strike,  or  the  big  pike  jammed 
the  one  lure  so  the  blades  refused  to  revolve.  To 
have  missed  one  or  all  these  experiences  Is  to  have 
fallen  short  of  the  inalienable  rights  of  an  angler. 
There  Is  joy,  always.  In  overcoming  difficulties.  In 
retrospect,  a  bad  smash  up,  repaired.  Is  one  of  the 
most  enjoyable  memories.  So  every  caster's  tackle- 
box  should  have  its  kit  of  tools. 

Now,  there  are  repair  kits  upon  the  market,  com- 
plete with  everything  required  for  almost  any  con- 
tingency, costing  anywhere  from  $2.00  up  to  $12.00 
or  thereabouts.  Those  outfits  are  good,  well  worth 
every  cent  they  cost,  but  It  may  be  that  the  angler 

127 


128      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

likes  to  potter  with  tools,  building  up  an  individual 
outfit  to  suit  himself;  if  so  I  have  some  suggestions 
and  a  wee  bit  of  advice  to  offer.  There  are  a  few 
tools  and  articles  which  are  essential,  absolutely  in- j 
dispensable,  and  should  have  place  in  the  angler's* 
tackle-box,  or  better,  coat-pocket;  while  there  are 
certain  bulky  articles,  convenient  but  not  actual  re- 
quisites, which  may  be  placed  in  the  larger  tackle- 
boxes.  Narrowed  down,  then,  we  have  two  classes 
of  tools  and  articles — indispensables  and  eonvenien- 
cies.  And  It  may  be  well  for  me  to  so  classify  the 
two  groups,  calling  the  first  the  ^'Pocket  Outfit,''  and 
the  second  the  "Tackle-box  Kit." 

Nine  out  of  ten  anglers  do  not  like  to  be  over- 
loaded with  paraphernalia,  the  tenth  man  is  willing 
to  tote  a  tackle-box  as  large  as  a  Saratoga  trunk. 
Now  I  am  not  saying  that  the  Saratoga  trunk  tackle- 
box  is  not  a  convenience  and  delight;  it  is  both;  but 
the  average  man  can  not  bother  with  a  thing  so  un- 
wieldy, if  he  has  the  where-with-all  to  procure  it.  By 
the  same  token  a  man  can  construct  a  pocket-kit, 
elaborate  and  bulky,  containing,  beside  the  essen- 
tials, what  we  may  term  repair  felicities.  However, 
we  are  now  interested  in  the  absolute  essentials, 
those  tools  which  we  may  need  any  day,  or  a  num- 
ber of  times  a  day.  One  word  of  caution,  in  your 
anxiety  to  eliminate  the  superfluous,  do  not  dispense 
with  the  essential  article. 

The  following  should  be  found  in  the  pocket-kit 


1 

H^^^Br        ^ 

AlA 

hMIh 

,     ^. . 

JBik^ 

^^^pH 

1.     -^ 

^ 

2    ^^B^^KS 

— L—- 

^ ^i^PS 

&^^ 

iU^ 

1 

ROD  REPAIRING 

1.  Removing  ferrule  with  pliers.                        3  and  4.  Broken  rod  cut  ready  for 

2,  Warming  ferrule  with  flame  of  match.  cement. 

5  and  6.  Placed  in  vise  and  wound. 


i 


REPAIR  KITS  AND  METHODS  129 

of  every  angler:  i,  screw  driver;  2,  oU-can;  3,  cut- 
ting pliers;  4,  bit  of  rod  cement;  5,  skein  winding 
silk;  6,  coil  fine  copper  wire;  7,  file;  8,  tube  rod  var- 
nish; 9,  pencil  brush.  Every  caster  will  undoubtedly 
think  of  articles  he  would  like  to  have,  but  they  can 
be  dispensed  with.  A  pair  of  scissors  would  be  apt 
to  come  in  handy,  but  a  sharp  pocket  knife  will  take 
their  place,  so  I  omit  them.  A  word  regarding  that 
pocket-knife;  let  it  be  a  two-bladed  one  and  keep  the 
little  blade  at  razor  edge  to  be  used  only  in  an  emer- 
gency. To  contain  the  rod-varnish  nothing  is  quite 
equal  to  the  collapsible  tubes  used  for  tooth  paste  and 
various  toilet  articles;  if  you  can  not  secure  a  new 
one  from  the  druggist,  then  empty  and  thoroughly 
clean  an  old  one.  Such  a  tube  need  not  be  large,  for 
the  caster  will  seldom  need  any  great  amount  of 
varnish,  though  the  lack  of  it  may  injure  and  even 
ruin  a  fine  caster.  The  file  should  be  of  the  flat 
variety  and  not  overly  long.  I  use  a  tool-handle  con- 
taining an  ideal  reel-screw-driver,  file,  and  thirty  or 
so  other  useful  articles,  thus  eliminating  one  neces- 
sary article  and  gaining  thirty.  The  copper  wire  is 
unwound  from  the  spool  and  coiled  to  save  space. 
The  silk  Is  also  wound  upon  a  flat  card  for  the  same 
reason.  Spools  are  always  bulky.  The  bit  of  rod 
cement  is  wrapped  in  oiled  silk;  there  is  no  need  for 
a  whole  stick  of  the  stuff.  Let  the  oil-can  be  small 
and  leak-proof,  If  there  is  such  a  thing.  The  reader 
will  remember  that  I  specified  cutting  pliers  where 


I30      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

some  repair  men  give  round-nosed  first  place.  Un- 
doubtedly the  round-nose  are  convenient  for  certain 
jobs,  but  one  can  secure  a  pair  of  flat-nosed  for  bend- 
ing, pulling,  etc.,  and  yet  have  a  side-cutting  surface. 
Why  carry  two  or  three  pairs  of  pliers  when  you  can 
get  along  with  one?  For  applying  varnish  I  use  a 
.small  artist's  brush,  slips  Into  the  combination  tool- 
kit handle,  one  less  article  to  look  after.  I  submit 
that  it  would  be  exceedingly  difficult  to  secure  greater 
utility  with  the  same  amount  of  weight  and  cubic 
inches  of  displacement. 

All  these  articles  might  be  carried  loose  in  the 
pocket,  but  in  order  to  always  have  them  get-at-able 
when  needed,  I  have  evolved  a  little  pocket  case  of 
my  own,  not  much  to  look  at  but  very  convenient. 
Made  of  waterproof  duck,  lined  with  flannel,  the 
upper  edge  of  the  pockets  being  faced  with  stretched 
rubber  elastic  which  holds  each  article  in  place  if 
the  case  should  be  dropped  while  unstrapped.  It  is 
the  very  acme  of  simplicity,  and  for  that  very  reason 
has  appealed  strongly  to  the  anglers  who  have  had 
reason  to  call  upon  me  for  sudden  first  aid. 

Where  the  rodster  is  to  be  accompanied  with  his 
tackle-box,  he  can  either  drop  the  few  required  tools 
into  one  of  the  compartments,  or  he  can  use  the  fold 
above  described.  However,  there  are  certain 
articles  which  I  always  leave  in  my  tackle-box  be- 
cause so  often  convenient,  though  I  do  not  advise 
rodsters  to  carry  them  when  "going  light."    One  of 


I 


REPAIR  KITS  AND  METHODS  131 

the  most  convenient  of  these  luxuries  Is  a  tiny  vise,  a 
toy  one  from  the  ten  cent  store  may  be  made  to 
serve,  or  the  more  expensive  and  durable  machinist's 
will  give  better  satisfaction.  For  holding  a  hook 
while  filing,  straightening  a  bent  lure,  for  the  hun- 
dred-and-one  contingencies  which  may  arise,  there  is 
nothing  better;  on  a  pinch  the  vise  may  be  made  to 
serve  in  place  of  a  second  pair  of  pliers.  The  round- 
nose  pliers  have  a  place  in  the  tackle-box  if  space  is 
not  at  too  high  a  premium.  A  "regular"  screw- 
driver may  be  carried  In  place  of,  or  In  addition  fo, 
the  one  contained  in  the  handle  of  the  "L.  E.  B. 
Tool  Kit."  Do  not  forget  the  pair  of  sharp  pointed 
scissors,  nor  a  good  sized  "rat  tail"  file.  There  is 
no  good  reason  for  multiplying  tools  just  for  the 
sake  of  multiplication.  Where  the  angler  can  make 
one  article  serve  two  purposes.  It  is  much  better  to 
do  so  than  to  carry  two  articles.  By  the  same  token, 
if  a  pair  of  flat-nose,  side-cutting  pliers  can  be  made 
to  serve  the  purpose  of  the  three  styles  sometimes 
seen  In  tackle-boxes,  is  It  not  just  as  well?  In  fact, 
1  believe  simplicity  and  service  to  be  the  two  biggest 
words  In  the  angler's  vocabulary.  Anything  that  can 
be  eliminated  without  serious  loss  is  mere  lumber. 
The  articles  mentioned  will  be  found  amply 
adequate  to  meet  any  emergency  and  repair  any 
repairable  break.  Again  we  are  face  to  face  with 
that  age-old  proposition — individuality — personal 
worth.     One  man,  with  a  jack-knife  and  a  bit  of 


132      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

twine,  will  repair  a  broken  rod  creditably  and  go  on 
fishing;  another  individual,  with  the  best  and  most 
complete  outfit  ever  conceived,  will  bother  away  for 
half  a  day  and  succeed  only  in  spoiling  a  rod.  Do 
not  jump  to  the  erroneous  conclusion  that  only  the 
adept  with  tools,  the  natural  mechanic,  can  become 
a  rod-repairer;  any  rodster  with  an  ounce  of  gray 
matter,  a  modicum  of  instruction,  and  an  abundance 
of  stick-to-itiveness  may  in  short  order  become  a  first 
aid  man  worthy  the  name.  I  think  I  have'  covered 
the  whole  matter  in  the  foregoing  sentence.  It  is 
the  individual's  knowledge  and  not  his  tools  only 
that  count.  Consequentially  to  dismiss  the  sub- 
ject with  only  the  question  of  tools  discussed,  would 
be  a  mechanical  sin  and  a  piscatorial  misdemeanor; 
so  we  must  go  on  to  the  use  of  tools,  e'en  though  we 
repeat  much  of  what  has  been  said  in  other  chapters. 
Remember,  however,  never  forget  for  a  moment, 
that  the  angler  must  experiment  with  windings, 
splices,  loose  ferrules,  etc.,  etc.,  before  he  sets  out 
on  his  angling  expedition  if  he  is  to  achieve  field- 
repairs  of  lasting  worth.  The  old  saying,  worn 
threadbare  by  much  use,  is  mightiest  truth  when 
applied  to  the  angler's  game — ^'Practice  makes  per- 
fect." As  I  have  already  intimated,  this  work  comes 
more  naturally  to  some  than  to  others,  but  what  any 
man  has  learned  to  do,  the  veriest  tyro  can,  with 
patience  and  application,  also  accomplish. 

If  experience  is  the  most  valuable  teacher,  then 


REPAIR  KITS  AND  METHODS  133 

the  sooner  we  submit  to  her  tutelage,  the  quicker  we 
will  have  our  lessons  learned.  I  mean  simply  this, 
we  must  learn  how  to  repair  worn,  damaged  and 
broken  tackle,  by  repairing,  so  we  must  to  work  at 
once.  No  matter  if  our  first  efforts  are  somewhat 
crude  and  unsatisfactory;  in  time  skill  will  come. 

I  will  begin  with  the  more  simple  operations,  con- 
cluding with  that  somewhat  difficult  feat,  splicing  a 
broken  joint.  Perhaps  the  most  simple  repair  is 
re-varnishing  or  re-shellacing.  The  angler  should 
understand  that  the  purpose  of  shellac  and  varnish 
is  not  simply  to  add  to  the  appearance  of  the  rod, 
but  to  render  the  joints  impervious  to  moisture. 
Once  let  water  seep  in  between  the  sections  of  a  split- 
bamboo  and  it  is  only  a  question  of  time  when  the 
rod  will  break.  There  Is  no  item  in  the  care  of 
tackle  of  greater  importance  than  this — keep  the  rod 
well  varnished.  Buy  the  shellac  and  varnish  from 
reputable  rod  makers  or  tackle  dealers  only.  The 
best  is  none  too  good.  Do  not  unless  somewhat  ex- 
perienced, attempt  to  make  your  own  shellac.  If  you 
must  buy  varnish  of  other  than  tackle  dealers,  get 
the  very  best  coach  varnish.  There  are  two  ways  of 
proceeding,  either  you  can  remove  all  the  windings, 
sand-paper  the  rod  smooth,  using  at  the  last  only  the 
finest  of  sand-paper,  finishing  up  with  silk  cloth  or 
tissue  paper;  or  you  may,  probably  will,  apply  the 
shellac  and  varnish  over  the  old  windings.    See  to  it, 


134      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS    • 

however,  that  all  frayed  and  loose  windings  are 
replaced  before  applying  varnish. 

Select  for  varnishing  a  warm  day  and  a  warm 
room  free  from  floating  particles  of  dust.  Go  over 
the  rod  carefully  with  a  cloth  on  which  has  been 
sprinkled  a  few  drops  of  benzine  or  gasoline  to 
remove  any  dirt.  Be  sure  the  rod  is  absolutely  clean. 
Begin  at  the  top  of  the  tip  and  work  down,  applying 
the  varnish  with  a  pencil-brush,  rubbing  out  well. 
Do  not  flow  the  varnish  on,  the  result  will  be  a  dauby 
appearing  job.  Take  time  to  do  the  work  in  the 
very  best  manner  possible.  *'That  which  is  worth 
doing  at  all,  is  worth  doing  well."  When  completed, 
hang  the  rod,  or  joints,  in  a  warm  room  free  from 
dust.  The  rod  should  be  allowed  to  dry  for  three 
or  four  days,  a  week  or  ten  days  being  better,  though 
much  depends  upon  the  character  of  the  weather; 
varnish  drying  much  more  quickly  in  a  hot,  dry  spell 
than  when  the  air  is  humid. 

As  to  whether  or  not  the  rodster  should  use  both 
shellac  and  varnish  will  depend  upon  the  condition 
of  the  rod;  if  well  worn  I  should  say  employ  both, 
if  not,  use  the  varnish  alone.  If  both  are  used,  at 
least  a  week  should  intervene  between  the  coats.  As 
to  how  many  times  a  rod  should  be  varnished  during 
a  reason  will  depend  upon  the  use  and  weather  to 
which  subjected;  ordinarily  a  coat  at  the  beginning 
of  the  season  should  be  sufl^cient.  If  used  in  the  rain 
a  great  deal,  then  two  or  three  treatments  should  be 


REPAIR  KITS  AND  METHODS  135 

administered.  I  once  ruined  a  fine  and  expensive 
fly-rod  tip  by  not  taking  care  of  it.  Was  In  camp 
for  two  weeks  of  rainy  weather,  employing  one  rod 
and  tip  though  I  had  other  rods  and  a  second  tip  for 
the  rod  used,  a  matter  which  any  rod-lover  can 
understand.  One  day  the  sections  of  bamboo  let 
go — water  had  seeped  In — and  the  tip  "folded."  As 
I  write  that  loved  tip  hangs  above  my  desk,  a  con- 
stant admonition  to  shellac  and  varnish. 

What  caster  has  not  picked  up  his  rod  in  the 
spring,  or  after  a  long  dry  spell  in  mid-summer,  only 
to  find  the  ferrules  loose?  That  one  should  never 
attempt  to  cast  wath  a  rod  with  loose  ferrules  goes 
without  saying.  The  first  step  In  repairing  is  to 
remove  the  ferrules.  If  loose  and  un-plnned  that  Is 
an  easy  matter.  When  you  have  your  new  rod  made,. 
ask  the  maker  to  leave  out  the  ferrule-pins;  they 
serve  no  good  purpose  and  often  are  vexatious  bits 
of  metal.  If  your  rod  is  supplied  with  pins,  you  must 
find  and  remove  them;  it  is  the  first  step.  About  the 
only  way  is  to  push  the  pins  in  so  that  the  ferrule  will 
slip  over,  usually  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  get  hold 
of  them  and  extract. 

The  ferrules  removed,  clean  away  all  the  old 
cement.  Warm  the  end  of  the  rod,  the  ferrule  first 
to  be  set,  and  the  cement.  The  flame  of  a  match 
will  do.  Now  apply  the  cement  to  the  end  of  the 
rod  and  pass  the  flaming  match  up  and  down,  turn- 
ing the  rod  the  while  until  the  cement  is  evenly  dis- 


136      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

tributed;  now  shove  the  warm  ferrule  home.  That 
IS  all  there  Is  to  it.  With  the  un-pinned  ferrules  the 
job  can  be  accomplished  in  a  very  few  minutes.  In 
removing,  ferrules  the  round-nosed  pliei-s  are  very  1 
convenient,  will  not  bend — "up-set"  the  ferrule.  Do 
not  attempt  to  use  the  small  square-nosed  pliers  for 
the  work;  they  are  certain  to  ruin  the  edge  of  the 
ferrule. 

In  the  great  majority  of  cases  when  a  joint  breaks 
it  breaks  close  up  to  the  ferrule ;  there  is  a  reason  for 
this,  as  will  appear  in  the  next  paragraph.  When  a 
rod  so  breaks  there  is  but  one  thing  to  do,  remove 
the  broken  end  and  replace  the  ferrule.  Usually 
there  is  sufficient  wood  protruding  to  offer  the  flat- 
nosed  pliers  a  hold.  Holding  with  the  pliers,  pass  the 
flame  of  a  match  around  the  ferrule  until  the  cement 
begins  to  bubble  out,  the  ferrule  will  then  slip  off 
easily;  to  re-set,  proceed  as  advised  above.  If  too 
large  carefully  reduce,  using  file  and  knife,  the  latter 
as  a  scraper.  If  the  ferrule  is  fastened  with  an 
obstinate  pin,  or  for  any  reason  refuses  to  give  up 
the  wood,  it  can  always  be  burned  out.  Heat  a  piece 
of  wire — a  knitting  needle  is  ideal — until  at  white 
heat  and  push  against  the  wood,  working  from  the 
center  outward.  Do  not  heat  the  ferrule  so  as  to 
discolor  it.  Let  me  say  here,  however,  that  more 
than  once  I  have  been  compelled  to  stick  the  ferrule 
right  in  the  fire,  when  on  a  stream  without  tools,  and 
so  burn  the  wood  out.     Ruins  the  appearance  of  the 


I 


REPAIR  KITS  AND  METHODS  137 

ferrule,  but  it  can  be  replaced  with  a  new  one  later. 

Many  an  angler  has  no  doubt  noticed  that  after 
some  years  of  use  his  rod  becomes  soft  and  char- 
acterless, and  has  perhaps  thrown  it  away  as  "worn 
out."  Had  he  examined  the  ends  of  the  joints,  re- 
moving the  ferrules,  the  chances  are  that  he  would 
have  found  the  sections  without  glue  for  two  or  three 
inches.  Just  remove  ferrules,  re-glue,  using  the  best 
glue  procurable,  or  even  rod  cement  on  a  pinch,  re- 
place ferrules  and  the  rod  will  be  as  good  as  new. 
Probably  the  condition  of  the  rod  came  about  in  the 
first  place  through  lack  of  attention  in  the  matter  of 
shellac.  I  do  not  remember  ever  seeing  the  matter 
mentioned  in  the  outdoor  press  and  for  that  reason 
give  it  here,  feeling  sure  that  the  fraternity  will 
thank  me  for  the  information. 

Probably  no  single  repair  requires  as  much  skill, 
patience  and  forethought  as  a  splice.  Fortunate  it  is 
that  seldom  the  rod  breaks  where  a  splice  is  neces- 
sary or  possible;  as  already  mentioned,  nine  times 
out  of  ten  joints  break  close  up  to  the  ferrule,  where 
the  wood  can  be  removed.  When  a  rod  breaks  in 
the  middle  of  a  joint — it  has  happened  to  me  just 
once — there  is  but  one  thing  to  do  until  a  new  joint 
can  be  secured,  splice.     A  good  splice  can  not  be 

ade  hastily  or  without  tools.  Get  away  from  the 
water  and  its  enticements.  Forget  all  about  fishing. 
This  is  absolutely  essential  to  a  good  job.  Remove 
the  windings  for  at  least  five  inches — 2^  either  side 


138      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 


the  break,  supposing  it  to  be  square — and  scrape 
away  the  varnish.  Bevel  each  end,  working  slowly 
and  carefully.  Each  beveled  end  should  be  in  the 
neighborhood  of  five  inches  in  length.  In  order  to 
make  these  sections  fit  accurately  the  work  must  be 
done  in  a  skillful  manner.  The  rodster  will  be  glad 
if  he  has  a  bit  of  fine  sand-paper  in  his  tool-kit.  Lack- 
ing which  he  will  resort  to  the  file.  There  Is  just 
one  way  to  succeed,  that  of  the  home  dressmaker, 
*'cut  and  fit.'^  When  the  sections  are  as  nearly  per- 
fect as  It  Is  possible  to  get  them,  warm  both  ends — 
bevels — and  smear  with  rod  cement.  The  first  aid 
man  will  be  more  than  glad  if  he  has  that  toy  vise 
mentioned  a  while  ago,  for  It  is  exceedingly  diffi- 
cult to  get  along  without  something  of  the  sort. 
Again  warm  the  smeared  surfaces  with  the  flame  of 
a  match,  place  between  the  jaws  of  the  vise  and  screw 
home.  Now,  while  the  sections  are  held  in  the  vise, 
the  windings  can  be  begun.  ( For  method  of  winding 
see  following  paragraphs.)  The  chances  are  that 
the  caster  will  use  silk  though  there  is  a  fine,  hair-like 
copper  wire  on  the  market  which  is  excellent  for 
field-repairs;  a  splendid  plan  is  to  use  the  copper 
wire  where  the  ends  of  the  splices  fit  against  the 
outer  surface,  for  they  can  be  drawn  out  without 
danger  of  breaking.  Begin  about  half  an  inch  from 
the  end  of  the  splice  and  run  over  on  the  perfecf 
section  for  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  or  so.  Now 
place  two  narrow  windings  of  wire  close  up  to  the 


ROD  REPAIRING 

1.  Beginning  winding.  3.    End  almost  drawn  through. 

2.  The  draw-loop.  4.     Completed  all  but  cutting  off  end  of  silk. 


REPAIR  KITS  AND  METHODS  139 

vise,  upon  either  side.  Fill  in  with  silk,  or  even 
cover  the  copper  with  silk,  shellac  and  dry. 

I  have  taken  a  section  from  a  pin  about  a  quarter 
of  an  inch  long  and  sharpened  both  ends,  inserting 
half  way  in  each  end  of  the  splice.  Easy  matter  with 
the  aid  of  brad-awl  found  in  the  pocket  tool-kit. 
Two  of  these  pins  will  keep  the  sections  in  place,  no 
matter  how  much  ^'end-pull'  there  may  be.  I  have 
advised  the  use  of  a  vise,  though  one  can  dispense 
with  it  and  yet  produce  a  creditable  splice.  Hold  the 
sections  in  place  with  tightly  drawn  copper  wire, 
even  If  later  It  is  removed  when  the  silk  is  wound  on. 
Let  me  say  here  that  I  once  repaired  a  fellow  fisher- 
man's rod,  the  only  tools  or  aids  being  a  jack-knife, 
ordinary  casting  line  and  rod  cement;  the  splice  held, 
too.  Later  he  shellacked  the  windings,  and  to  the 
best  of  my  knowledge  Is  using  the  rod  yet. 

In  order  to  be  able  to  splice  properly  one  must 
know  how  to  lay  a  winding,  in  any  event  must  know 
how  to  replace  a  frayed  or  broken  winding.  It  is 
not  the  part  of  wisdom  to  allow  three  or  four  wind- 
ings to  disappear  from  the  rod,  paving  the  way  foF 
disaster.  With  the  photographs  herewith  repro- 
duced there  is  little  need  for  explanation,  that  which 
is  required  being  found  beneath  each  picture.  Do 
not  attempt  too  narrow  windings  at  first,  they  are 
more  difficult  and  less  satisfactory  to  the  novice. 
Always  keep  the  silk  moderately  tight  but  do  not 
break  it.    Take  pains  to  lay  the  strands  as  closely  as 


I40      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

possible.  After  the  winding  Is  finished  and  the  end 
pulled  under,  the  silk  can  be  pressed  snugly  together, 
using  the  back  of  the  knife-blade  for  the  purpose. 
Always  the  winding  should  be  shellacked  and 
allowed  to  dry  for  a  few  hours  at  least,  better  days, 
as  advised  in  the  paragraph  upon  shellacking. 

The  wise  angler  will  carry  one  or  more  extra  line- 
guides  in  his  kit,  for  once  in  a  thousand  years  a  guide 
is  broken,  and  while  there  is  small  chance  that  he 
will  be  found  in  the  thousandth  year,  yethe  may. 
In  placing  the  guide  upon  the  rod,  line  up  with  the 
others  and  mark  the  place  with  a  pencil.  Begin  the 
winding  beyond  the  guide,  which  has  been  fastened 
temporarily  with  a  few  wrappings  of  silk,  and  work 
toward  It.  When  the  wrapping  covers  the  shank  of 
the  guide  It  should  be  ended  with  an  underdraw; 
never  pass  the  silk  over  to  the  other  shank — run 
under  the  guide — for  to  do  so  is  to  increase  the 
chances  for  a  broken  thread.  If  the  rodster  wishes 
to  wind  under  the  line-loop,  he  will  begin  again. 
Wide  windings  are  never  the  part  of  wisdom,  for 
the  simple  reason  that  a  break  means  the  replacing 
of  the  whole  winding.  I  always  use  three  windings 
for  every  guide.  When  I  desire  a  long  winding,  say 
an  inch  wide,  I  divide  It  in  four  sections  of  a  quarter 
of  an  inch  each.  Again,  continuous  windings  are 
dangerous. 

Sometimes  a  tip-top  breaks,  again  *'once  in  a  thou- 
sand years,"  and  you  or  I  may  draw  the  thousandth; 


i 


REPAIR  KITS  AND  METHODS  141 

but  often  they  come  off  and  must  be  replaced.  The 
modus  operandi  of  replacing  a  tip-top  is  like  unto 
that  of  a  ferrule.  If  the  rod  is  broken  short  off 
close  up  to  the  end  of  the  tip-top  ferrule,  as  is  usually 
the  case,  heating  will  ordinarily  loosen  sufficiently  to 
remove,  but  always  the  hot  wire  will  burn  out.  It 
will  be  necessary  to  pare  down  the  wood  slightly 
before  re-inserting;  do  it  with  utmost  care,  employ- 
ing the  file  largely,  or  knife-blade  as  scraper.  Do 
not  attempt  to  shave  down  lest  the  knife  slip  and 
ruin  the  tip.  Take  my  word  for  it  and  do  not  experi- 
ment. If  the  tip-top  itself  is  broken — has  happened 
to  me  twice — remove  and  replace  with  a  spare  one 
which  should  be  in  the  kit  of  every  caster.  Ordi- 
narily casting  rods  are  supplied  with  two  tips,  which 
is  as  it  should  be,  then  if  one  breaks  the  angler  need 
not  stop  for  repairs  until  he  has  ample  leisure.  The 
point  that  I  would  make  is  that  the  caster  should 
know  how  to  repair,  even  in  the  field  if  necessity 
should  so  require. 

We  have  covered  the  ordinary  repairs  which  a 
caster  will  be  called  upon, to  make,  though  any  day 
something  may  happen  out  of  the  ordinary;  against 
those  accidents  I  have  no  word  of  advice.  The 
caster  will  of  course  always  keep  his  hooks  sharp, 
that  is  understood,  for  penetration  is  needed  In  order 
to  impale  a  bass.  He  will  also  see  to  it  that  all  his 
lures  are  ship-shape,  no  blades  bent  or  gimps  out  of 
order.    He  may  desire  to  make  a  few  split  buckshot, 


142      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

or  strengthen  a  pearl  wobbler  with  a  wire  running 
from  the  upper  ring  to  the  lower.  Oh,  there  is  any 
amount  of  little  things  to  do,  for  which  the  angler 
will  find  ample  use  for  the  simple  tools  mentioned  at 
the  beginning  of  this  chapter.  And  believe  me,  it 
is  rare  fun  to  potter  with  repair  work,  second  only 
to  the  full  joy  of  making  things.  From  a  knowledge 
of  how  to  repair  it  is  altogether  possible  that  the 
angler  will  go  on  to  the  actual  construction,  building 
a  rod  for  himself,  or  producing  a  wonderful  new 
plug  or  lure.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  experiment  with 
an  old  rod,  rewinding,  splicing,  re-setting  ferrules, 
doing  all  that  may  be  required  in  the  field.  Experi- 
ment and  experiment.  Keep  at  it.  Do  not  give  up. 
You  can  if  you  will.  And  here  is  wishing  you  all  the 
success  and  failures  needful  to  your  training. 


PART  II 
METHODS 


\ 


CHAPTER  I 

A  FIRST  LESSON  IN  CASTING 


To  attempt  to  learn  how  to  cast  from  printed 
instructions  is  like  learning  to  swim  from  photo- 
graphs of  expert  swimmers  in  action.  You  remem- 
mer  Sir  Somebody-or-other  who  placed  a  frog  in  a 
basin  of  water,  and,  mounting  his  library  table, 
copied  as  best  he  might  the  actions  of  the  amphibious 
animal;  all  in  order  that  he  might  become  an  expert 
swimmer  without  going  near  the  water.  I  imagine 
the  gentleman  met  his  death  by  drowning. 

There  is  just  one  road  leading  to  casting  skill,  and 
that  is,  much  casting.  While  I  strongly  urge  "back- 
yard casting,"  I  realize  full  well  that  mere  skill  and 
accuracy  will  not  make  an  expert  fisherman,  though 
you  may  become  a  successful  angler  without  either  of 
these  important  requisites.  You  can  learn  how  to 
get  out  your  line  without  creating  a  back-lash  and 
how  to  thumb  your  reel — the  former  depends  upon 
the  latter  to  a  great  extent — but  you  will  never  learn 
how  to  cast  with  skill  and  purpose  until  you  actually 
begin  to  fish. 

I  enjoy  practice  casting  in  the  back-yard,  and  often 
go  down  to  the  pond  when  there  is  not  a  ghost  of  a 

145 


146      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

show  of  hooking  a  fish,  in  order  that  I  may  duplicate 
actual  fishing  conditions,  and  cast  by  the  hour.  But 
I  am  an  old  hand  at  the  game.  I  learned  to  cast  by 
casting  where  I  hooked  an  eight  pound  pike  at  my 
third  bungling  attempt.  That  one  wolf  of  the  waters 
taught  me  more  about  how  to  handle  rod  and  reel 
than  all  I  have  ever  read  upon  the  subject.  How- 
ever, printed  instructions  have  their  legitimate  place, 
apd  it  Is  my  purpose  in  this  chapter  to  tell  the  novice 
how  to  set  about  acquiring  casting  skill;  perhaps  in 
due  time  lead  him  to  bank  and  boat,  and  instruct  him 
In  actual  fishing  methods.  I  have  read  many  articles 
upon  how  to  cast,  but  am  free  to  confess  that  they 
have  helped  me  little.  The  simple  instructions  which 
"Heddon"  gives  in  his  tackle  catalog  are  about  as 
satisfactory  as  anything  I  have  seen.  So,  you  see,  I 
could  dismiss  this  topic  with  a  few  words,  but  am  not 
going  to  do  so;  I  hope  at  least  to  show  the  angler 
what  not  to  do,  looking  back  over  my  schooling  for 
hints,  so  fore-warn  him.  (The  reader  undoubtedly 
Is  acquainted  with  the  old  saw  regarding  the  man 
fore-warned.)  Surely  I  have  said  enough  in  this 
preliminary  word  to  caution  the  reader  against 
expecting  too  much  from  this  chapter.   ^ 

While,  as  I  said,  I  learned  to  cast  In  actual  fishing, 
back-yard  casting  teaches  the  rodster  how  to  thumb 
the  reel,  and  If  he  be  the  right  sort  of  a  man, 
accuracy  and  distance.  After  once  the  tyro  has 
learned  to  handle  the  short  rod  he  will  derive  almost 


A  LESSON  IN  CASTING 

1.  Beginning  the  cast. 

2.  Second  position. 

3.  Third  position. 


A  FIRST  LESSON  IN  CASTING  147 

as  much  pleasure  in  casting  where  no  fish  are,  as  he 
will  from  dropping  his  lures  in  water  alive  with 
bronze-backs. 

The  initial  step  is,  of  course,  to  set  up  the  rod. 
See  to  it,  if  the  rod  is  a  jointed  caster,  that  the  fer- 
rules are  pushed  home,  having  first  anointed  the 
male  ferrule  with  a  drop  of  lubricant.  (Rubbing 
the  male  ferrule  in  the  hair  w^ill  provide  sufficient 
oil,  if  you  have  any  hair  on  top  of  your  head,  which 
the  writer  possesses  not.)  To  "throw  the  rod 
apart"  is  not  an  unusual  happening,  but  none  the  less 
vexatious  for  all  that.  Next  place  the  reel  on  top 
the  rod,  with  handle  extending  to  the  right.  With 
click  on,  to  prevent  over-run,  draw  out  enough  line  to 
thread  through  the  guides  and  return  from  the  tip- 
top to  reel.  Set  the  rod  up  between  your  knees;  do 
not  lay  it  down  unless  sure  the  boatman — the 
boatman^  of  course,  even  if  casting  on  the  lawn — 
can  not  place  his  foot  upon  it.  Now  reel  up  the  lure, 
or  weight,  to  within  six  Inches  of  the  tip-top.  Slide 
back  the  click;  never  attempt  to  cast  with  the  click 
on ;  to  do  so  is  to  spoil  the  cast  and  soon  ruin  the  best 
of  reels.  It  seems  almost  superfluous  to  mention  the 
matter,  yet  I  have  seen  men  actually  trying  to  cast 
with  the  click  shrieking  staccato  oaths.  I  never  use 
the  click  even  when  playing  a  fish,  for  I  had  rather 
wear  out  my  thumb  than  the  bearings  of  a  $25.00 
reel.  But  the  tyro  is  ready  to  cast,  lure  within  six 
inches  of  tip-top. 


148      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 


With  rod  held  firmly  in  right  hand,  thumb  press- 
ing against  the  reel-spool  to  prevent  its  turning,  the 
student  should  bring  the  rod  back  over  his  shoulder 
until  the  lure  hangs  slightly  back  of  his  head.  He 
should  not  throw  the  rod  far  back,  as  it  is  bad  form 
and  unnecessary.  Just  beyond  the  perpendicular  is 
right.  When  he  brings  the  rod  up  for  the  prelim- 
inary cast,  he  turns  it  so  that  the  reel  almost  stands 
upon  its  head  and  keeps  it  in  that  position  during  the 
entire  sweep.  "There  is  a  reason,"  as  Post  says. 
If  the  reel  is  held  on  top  of  the  rod,  the  thumb  point- 
ing along  the  rod  becomes  anxious  to  aid  in  the 
cast — to  "do  something" — presses  down  without  the 
caster's  knowledge,  bringing  the  cast  to  an  unex- 
pected end.  My  friend,  the  Professor  of  Psy- 
chology up  at  the  college,  explains  this  involuntary 
act  of  the  thumb,  using  many  high-sounding  and 
mouth-filling  words  which  I  am  sure  explains  the 
thing  to  himself;  however,  because  of  the  lack  of 
space,  I  accept  the  fact,  and  let  it  go  at  that.  About 
the  only  successful  way  of  obviating  the  trouble  Is 
the  one  advised,  holding  the  reel  almost  vertical  dur- 
ing the  entire  sweep  of  the  rod.  In  bringing  the  rod 
down  from  the  upright  position,  it  should  be  accom- 
plished with  a  quick,  snappy  movement.  It  Is  not 
strength  that  counts,  I  say  that  even  remembering  the 
ball-pitcher-like  gyrations  of  certain  casters  I  have 
watched  In  action.  Let  the  rod  do  the  work,  that  Is 
what  It  is  for.     The  amateur  will  be  surprised,  once 


A  FIRST  LESSON  IN  CASTING  149 

he  catches  the  knack,  that  little  strength  is  actually 
required  in  order  to  shoot  out  the  lure  a  considerable 
distance.  "One."  Bring  the  rod  up  until  slightly 
beyond  the  perpendicular.  *'Two."  Down  until  the 
rod  is  almost  horizontal.  That  is  all  there  is  to  cast- 
ing save  "thumbing  the  reel,"  "spooling  the  line," 
and  a  few  other  things.  "Thumbing"  deserves  a 
paragraph  all  by  itself. 

When  you  have  learned  to  correctly  gauge  the 
magic  pressure  of  that  first  digit,  you  will  never  have 
a  back-lash  or  any  casting  trouble,  which  is  tanta- 
mount to  saying  that  "thumbing"  is  the  secret  of  suc- 
cessful casting.  And  it  is.  If  too  much  pressure  is 
applied  at  the  commencement  of  the  cast,  the  reel 
stops  suddenly,  and  the  cast  dies  "a-bornin\"  Upon 
the  other  hand,  if  not  enough  pressure  is  kept  upon 
the  rapidly  diminishing  roll  of  line,  the  spool  soon 
over-runs  the  lure,  the  line  curls  under,  and  that  bane 
of  the  bait-caster's  life  results — a  back-lash.  As  I 
have  elsewhere  put  the  matter:  the  handle  of  the 
reel  may  be  considered  as  a  balance-wheel.  The  cast 
is  made.  The  spool  simply  surrenders  enough  line  to 
keep  pace  with  the  initial  velocity  of  the  lure,  but 
soon  gravitation,  air  pressure,  weight  of  the  line,  and 
a  hundred-and-one  other  things  combine  to  retard 
the  hasting  lure;  regarding  all  of  which  the  whirring 
reel  and  balance-handle  fly-wheel  remains  blissfully 
unconscious,  spinning  away  for  dear  life,  giving  line 
faster  than  the  lure  can  handle  it.     Very  simple. 


I50      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

Some  have  thought  that  by  eliminating  the  reel- 
handle  we  would  dispense  with  a  great  deal  of  the 
trouble,  and  so  we  have  the  free-spool,  a  really  splen- 
did winch  which  has  been  discussed  in  the  first  sec- 
tion of  this  book,  but  even  the  free-spool  must  be 
thumbed.  No,  In  all  but  those  reels  provided  with 
the  self-thumbing  mechanism,  all  depends  upon  the 
sensitiveness  and  sensibleness  of  the  ball  of  the  press- 
ing thumb.  You  must  learn  to  thumb  the  reel  and 
no  man  may  teach  you.  The  amount  of  pressure 
required  will  depend  upon  the  weight  of  the  lure, 
character  of  the  rod,  quality  of  the  line  and  reel, 
etc.;  In  fact,  so  many  elements  enter  Into  the  prob- 
lem which  the  caster  alone  can  determine,  that,  in  the 
slang  of  the  day,  "It's  up  to  him."  The  only  way  to 
thumb.  Is  to  thumb. 

Pressing  the  ball  of  the  thumb  against  the  rough 
surface  of  a  rapidly  revolving  line-laden  spool  is 
rather  severe  upon  the  thumb,  as  the  line  Is  more  or 
less  rough  and  saturated  with  water.  Some  casters 
use  a  "thumb  stall,"  or  wear  a  glove,  though  either 
destroys  that  fine  control  which  is  possible  without. 
As  a  consequence  more  and  more  casters  are  coming 
to  employ  a  method  known  as  "thumbing  the  end- 
plate."  Instead  of  pressing  the  thumb  against  the 
line,  it  is  pressed  against  the  end-plate.  One  advan- 
tage of  the  method  not  often  mentioned  Is  found  In 
the  fact  that  the  size  of  the  end-plate  never  alters, 
while  the  caliber  of  the  spool  grows  less  as  the  cast 


A  FIRST  LESSON  IN  QASTING  151 

lengthens,  necessitating  a  constant  changing  of  the 
position  of  the  thumb.  Obviously  for  such  thumbing 
the  end-plate  should  be  large  enough  to  offer  room 
for  the  thumb,  and  therefore  a  larger  reel  Is  recom- 
mended. Personally  I  do  not  like  the  method,  but 
must  confess  that  after  a  day's  strenuous  casting,  the 
ball  of  my  thumb  is  sometimes  a  sight  to  behold. 

While  discussing  the  subject  of  thumbing  is  a  good 
time  to  mention  a  kindred  matter,  spooling  the  line. 
No  caster  can  successfully  thumb  a  reel  unless  the 
line  has  first  been  properly  spooled.  Spooling  the 
line  properly  comes  before  thumbing  the  reel.  Care 
must  be  taken  to  lay  the  line  perfectly  level  and  dis- 
tributed evenly  from  end  to  end  of  the  spool,  no 
matter  what  the  haste  or  excitement  when  reeling  in, 
even  if  playing  the  record  fish  of  the  day.  Should 
the  line  be  allowed  to  "pile"  In  one  place,  it  will 
inevitably  tip  over  and  loops  be  wound  under;  when 
the  next  cast  is  attempted,  the  rodster  will  discover 
that  he  has  one  of  the  worst  varieties  of  snarls — 
back-lashes — to  untangle.  Unless  he  is  using  an 
easy-apart  reel,  can  get  at  the  spool  readily,  he  will 
be  tempted  to  attack  the  tangle  with  his  jack-knife, 
a  method  somewhat  destructive  of  a  cent-a-foot  line.. 
Eternal  vigilance  alone  is  the  price  of  a  well  re- 
trieved line,  unless  the  caster  owns  and  employs  a 
level-winding  reel,  for  which  I  expressed  a  predilec- 
tion in  the  first  half  of  this  work. 

The    greatest    temptation    which    the    would-be 


152      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

caster  has  to  overcome  is  that  of  trying  for  distance 
before  he  has  acquired  accuracy.  Once  he  has 
learned  the  A,  B,  C  of  casting — the  three  movements 
in  getting  out  the  lure,  thumbing  the  reel,  and  spool- 
ing the  line — let  him  turn  his  whole  attention  to 
acquiring  accuracy.  It  is  far  more  important  in, 
actual  fishing  to  be  able  to  place  the  lure  in  the  center! 
of  a  spot  the  size  of  a  wash-basin,  than  to  shoot  it 
150  feet,  say,  not  knowing  where  it  is  going  to  strike. 
(More  bass  are  caught  under  50  feet  than  beyond.) 
In  the  beginning  of  practice  work  the  wise  student 
will  not  attempt  to  cast  over  10  feet,  and  will  keep 
at  that  distance  until  he  can  hit  a  spot  the  size  of  his 
hat  four  times  out  of  five.  He  will  not  increase  the 
length  of  his  cast  until  he  has  acquired  absolute  con- 
trol of  his  lure  for  a  given  distance.  He  will  add  to 
his  cast  grudgingly,  foot  by  foot,  as  he  wins  it.  This, 
then,  is  the  caster's  golden  rule :  keep  your  accuracy, 
distance  will  come  all  in  good  time.  To  get  more 
line  out  than  the  other  fellow  is  not  the  thing  to 
strive  for,  but  to  put  the  lure  in  the  little  pockets  of 
open  water  where  the  fish  lie.  The  reader  may  now 
think  that  I  am  overrating  the  importance  of  accu- 
racy, but  later,  if  he  acts  upon  my  admonition,  he 
will  rise  up  and  call  me  blessed.  Do  not  think  that 
I  undervalue  a  long  cast;  there  are  occasions  when 
ability  to  lay  a  long  line  will  prove  of  utmost  worth ; 
but  as  I  said  a  moment  ago,  in  actual  fishing,  more 
bass  are  hooked  within  50  feet  than  over.    But  what 


A  FIRST  LESSON  IN  CASTING  153 

advantage  is  there  in  getting  out  150  feet  of  line  if 
the  caster  is  unable  to  hit  the  likely  bit  of  water? 
Bass  do  not  lie  in  "any  old  place/'  as  I  shall  try  to 
show  later  on.  The  lure  must  strike  just  right. 
Second  only  to  knowledge  of  the  fish's  habits  is 
accuracy. 

The  tyro  will  never  become  a  first  class  caster  until 
he  learns  to  take  into  account  the  casting  qualities  of 
different  lures,  some  offering  greater  resistance  to 
the  air  than  others,  while  the  matter  of  weight  also 
enters  in.  I  am  compelled  to  believe  that  within 
reasonable  bounds,  the  shape  of  the  lure  plays 
almost  as  important  a  part  in  the  casting  problem  as 
does  the  matter  of  weight;  at  any  rate,  the  rodster 
will  discover  that  there  is  a  vast  difference  in  the 
handling  of  lures  of  the  same  weight.  The  wind 
also  must  be  taken  into  consideration,  and  in  long 
casts  allowed  for.  All  of  this  knowledge  can  be 
acquired  in  practice  casting  as  successfully  as  in 
actual  fishing. 

In  the  foregoing  preliminary  instructions  I  have 
been  talking  of  the  overhead  cast  as  it  is  the  one  of 
utmost  importance  in  average  fishing,  the  only  one 
to  use  in  a  boat  with  a  companion,  but  the  side  cast 
is  also  of  value  if  the  rodster  intends  to  cast  from 
the  shore.  In  the  latter  cast  the  position  of  the  reel 
is  the  same — almost  vertical  to  the  rod.  The  tip  of 
the  rod  is  held  back  about  even  with  the  hand- 
grasp — level — and  swung  well  back  of  the  body  for 


154      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

the  beginning  of  the  cast.  The  rod  Is  not  raised  but 
swung  around  the  body  from  the  beginning  of  the 
cast.  The  rod  Is  not  raised  but  whipped  sidewise. 
Good,  as  the  reader  can  readily  realize,  for  casting 
under  trees,  and  a  cast  for  the  bank  fisherman  to 
perfect.  I  am  well  aware  that  some  anglers  poke  all 
manner  of  fun  at  the  "side-swiper,"  as  they  dub  the 
man  employing  the  side  cast,  but  outside  of  a  boat  it 
is  a  very  convenient  method. 

What  I  am  pleased  to  term  in  my  own  mind  the 
"underhand  cast,"  begins  even  lower  down,  at  about 
the  height  of  the  knees,  and  swings  upward  as  the 
cast  progresses  until  the  tip  of  the  rod  Is  shoulder 
high.  Once  the  student  catches  the  trick  he  will  be 
surprised  to  find  that  he  can  get  out  a  vast  amount 
of  line.  But  for  control  and  accuracy,  always  em- 
ploy the  overhead  method.  As  I  have  already  inti- 
mated, the  side  cast — "side-swipe" — is  very  danger- 
ous to  a  companion.  I  was  casting  with  a  man  from 
India  a  few  years  ago,  when  suddenly  something 
struck  my  head  like  a  thousand  of  brick;  it  was  a 
multi-hooked  plug.  Fortunately  I  was  wearing  a 
wool  hat,  pulled  low  to  protect  my  eyes  from  the  rays 
of  the  setting  sun,  otherwise  I  would  have  been 
cruelly  hurt.  Always  sit  down  In  a  boat  when  cast- 
ing unless  it  Is  built  on  the  lines  of  a  mud-scow.  By 
the  way,  in  practice  casting  it  is  a  good  plan  now  and 
then  to  attempt  the  sport  from  a  chair.  Just  place 
the  chair  out  upon  the  lawn  and,  standing  on  It,  try 


A  FIRST  LESSON  IN  CASTING  155 

and  hit  a  spot  20  feet  away.    You  have  my  sympathy 
if  the  neighbors  see  you. 

In  concluding  this  chapter  I  must  add  a  word  or 
two  regarding  playing  the  fish,  though  the  matter 
will  be  treated  at  length  in  the  chapters  dealing  with 
actual  fishing.  In  retreiving  the  lure  the  tip  of  the 
rod  should  be  pointed  almost  directly  at  the  in-com- 
Ing  plug,  for  usually  bass  attack  as  the  lure  moves 
through  the  water;  held  so,  the  rod  is  in  the  best 
position  to  strike  the  fish  when  it  reaches  the  plug. 
Swing  the  rod  quickly. to  the  right  and  upwards  until 
it  reaches  an  angle  of  say,  45  degrees;  keep  it  so 
with  a  constant  strain  upon  the  fish.  (Ordinarily  a 
bass  will  attend  to  the  stpin.)  If  the  fish  leaps  from 
the  water — "goes  into  the  air" — hold  the  rod  ip 
readiness  to  swing  either  to  the  right  or  left  in  order 
that  you  may  keep  a  taut  line ;  if  the  rodster  neglects 
to  do  this,  the  fish  may  "shake  out"  the  hook  and  so 
the  "biggest  bass  of  the  day"  be  lost.  Play  your 
fish,  do  not  let  him  play  you.  If  any  one  loses  his 
head  let  it  be  the  fish.  More  bass  are  lost  on  account 
of  blue  funk  on  the  part  of  the  angler  than  for  any 
other  reason. 


f 


CHAPTER  II 

LANDING  TOOLS  AND  HOW  TO  USE  THEM 

History  tells  us  that  Austerlitz  placed  the  iron 
crown  upon  Napoleon's  brow,  while  Waterloo  swept 
it  off.  There  is  no  victory  until  the  battle  is  won. 
No  doughty  bronze-back  is  netted  until  he  is  netted. 
Which  is  but  another  way  of. saying  that  more  fish 
are  lost  at  the  net's  edge  than  at  any  other  point  of 
the  game.  I  think  it  was  Napoleon  who  said  that 
God  was  on  the  side  of  the  biggest  guns,  a  statement 
more  witty  than  true ;  which,  applied  to  bass  fishing, 
would  mean  that  landing  tools  are  of  utmost  im- 
portance. While  I  am  ready  to  concede  that  landing 
tools  should  be  of  the  best,  indeed  must  be,  I  wish  to 
assert  that  the  angler  must  know,  first  of  all,  how  to 
play  his  capture,  lest  he  have  no  opportunity  of  using 
them. 

The  reader  undoubtedly  remembers  the  old  copy- 
book slogan:  "Drive  thy  business  or  thy  business 
will  drive  thee.'*  So  the  bass-fisher — any  angler  as 
for  that — must  determine  in  his  own  mind  that  he  is 
going  to  conduct  the  fight  from  start  to  finish,  therein 
lies  the  secret  of  success.  Never  wait  for  a  fish  to 
reveal  his  tactics;  In  the  slang  of  the  day,  "beat  him 

156 


LANDING  TOOLS;  HOW  TO  USE  THEM     157 

to  It."  Force  the  battle,  always.  Do  unto  the  fish 
as  the  fish  would  do  unto  you,  only  do  It  first.  Before 
the  rodster  can  use  his  landing-net  or  gaff  he  must 
have  exhausted  the  fish,  so  the  first  half  of  this  chap- 
ter will  be  devoted  to  a  discussion  of  how  to  conduct 
the  fight,  after  which  we  will  take  up  the  discussion 
of  landing  tools;  however,  of  course  more  or  less 
must  be  said  of  the  tools  as  I  work  along,  so  I  ask 
your  patience  If  I  seem  somewhat  prolix  and  repeat 
myself  now  and  then.  Remember  always,  the  secret 
of  successful  fighting  is  found  in  the  above  remarks. 
Say  with  rough  Walt.  Whitman,  *'I  ask  not  good 
fortune,  I  am  good  fortune."    That  wins. 

I  have  already  briefly  discussed  the  strike,  but  as 
every  Ichthylc  battle  begins  at  that  point,  I  may  as 
well  "begin  at  the  beginning,"  as  the  children  say, 
even  though  I  repeat  myself.  The  rod.  In  retrieving 
the  line,  should  be  pointed  directly  at  the  Incoming 
lure  so  that  the  angler  may  strike  effectively  by 
swinging  the  tip  sharply,  either  to  right  or  left  as 
conditions  may  demand.  Right  here  we  may  as  well 
get  the  matter  of  terms  clearly  In  mind,  so  far  as  this 
volume  Is  concerned.  The  bass  *Wises^^  the  angler 
^^strikesJ'  The  bass  "rises"  when  he  comes  to  the 
offered  lure,  the  angler  "strikes"  when  he  seeks  to  set 
the  hook  In  the  fish's  jaws.  This  seems  to  me  the 
logical  use  of  the  two  terms. 

Often,  usually,  the  bass  hooks  himself,  so  fierce  Is 
his  rush,  so  ferocious  is  his  attack,  though  there  are 


158      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

times  when  it  does  not  occur  unless  the  angler  does 
his  part;  and  always,  unless  the  line  be  kept  taut  as 
a  fiddle  string,  there  is  a  chance  that  the  lure  may  be 
ejected.  By  striking,  I  do  not  mean  a  tremendous 
jerk,  that  is  never  necessary  and  always  destructive 
of  light  tackle;  simply  a  sharp  swing  sidewise,  a 
movement  comparable  to  that  of  the  fly-fisherman 
when  he  sees  the  swirl  of  the  rising  fish.  Personally 
I  think  a  taut  line  immediately  after  the  fish  reaches 
the  hook  is  of  greater  importance  than  the  strike. 
But  the  angler  has  met  the  rise  with  the  strike,  and 
hooked  the  fish,  now  what  shall  he  do?  Play  his 
capture,  of  course,  the  most  interesting  and  fascinat- 
ing portion  of  the  game.  Many  times  I  have  hooked 
and  played  fish,  only  to  release  them  after  they  had 
given  up  and  surrendered.  Throughout  the  battle 
the  rod  should  be  held  at  about  an  angle  of  45 
degrees,  with  tension  enough  upon  the  fish  to  bend 
the  rod,  so  that  the  spring  of  the  latter  will  be 
brought  to  bear  upon  the  capture.  We  play  the  fish 
from  the  reel  it  Is  true,  but  it  Is  the  back-bone  of  the 
rod  that  should  weary  the  antagonist,  and  not  the 
reeling  in  and  paying  out  the.  line.  Remember  to 
play  the  fish  with  the  rod.  Again  if  the  angler's  rod 
Is  bending  he  will  know  that  he  has  sufficient  strain 
upon  the  bass  to  prevent  disaster;  disaster  is  more 
than  apt  to  come  If  he  for  a  single  moment  forgets 
to  do  the  fighting.  Seldom  do  angling  writers  men- 
tion the  spring  of  the  rod  in  connection  with  the 


LANDING  TOOLS;  HOW  TO  USE  THEM     159 

battle,  usually  enlarging  upon  the  cast;  truly  if  the 
rod  lacks  resiliency  it  is  a  poor  caster,  but  for  the 
same  reason,  it  is  a  poor  tool  with  which  to  play  a 
fish.  Sometimes  I  use  a  six-foot-six  rod,  just  for  the 
fun  of  seeing  it  bend,  though  experience  has  proven 
that  it  is  in  nowise  as  good  a  tool  for  the  work  as 
the  shorter  one. 

There  Is  another  reason  why  the  rod  should  keep 
a  constant  tension  upon  the  fish.  The  leap  of  the 
bass  has  found  its  way  Into  song  and  story,  and 
justly  so.  The  aerial  gymnastics  of  the  rainbow 
trout  are  not  as  confusing,  and  pound  for  pound,  not 
as  tackle  testing.  I  know  of  no  fresh-water  fish  that 
will  put  up  so  satisfactory  a  battle  from  every  point 
of  view  as  will  the  American  black-bass.  Given  suf- 
ficient slack  line,  he  will  send  your  cherished  lure 
catapulting  over  the  water.  Just  the  other  day  a 
correspondent  told  of  a  bass  that  "shook  his  lure  as 
a  terrier  shakes  a  rat,"  which,  of  course,  is  a  mani- 
fest impossibility.  The  bass  shakes  his  whole  body, 
though  how  he  does  it  is  something  of  an  enigma. 
I  know  of  nothing  more  confusing  than  the  leap,  and 
because  confusing  It  often  spells  disaster.  "Pull  him 
down,"  say  some  authorities.  Let  him  go,  I  say.  It 
is  never  necessary  to  "pull  him  down,"  a  taut  line  is 
all  that  is  required.  Do  not  "side  swipe"  the  bronze- 
back,  he  is  too  noble  a  warrior  to  be  treated  with 
Indignity.  Let  him  leap,  but  as  the  angler  hopes  to 
conquer,  he  must  see  to  it  that  the  fish  gains  no 


i6o      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

slack;  rod  and  reel  must  both  be  brought  into  play- 
to  checkmate  the  latter,  though  he  will  go  into  the  air 
again  and  again  in  his  frenzy  and  anger,  hoping  to 
rid  himself  of  that  stinging,  clinging  thing  fast  in  his 
jaws.  It  Is  the  leap  of  the  bass  that  places  him  gills 
and  pectoral  fins  above  any  other  fresh-water  game 
fish  of  equal  size. 

There  is  considerable  individuality  about  Microp- 
terus,  after  all;  there  is  no  telling  what  any  given 
fish  will  do.  Granted  half  an  opportunity,  he  will 
go  into  the  air,  ripping  the  singing  line  through  the 
water  in  a  way  to  stir  the  blood  of  the  most 
phlegmatic,  or  he  may  go  to  the  bottom  and  sulk 
like  a  school-boy  bereft  of  recess.  Sometimes  a  sulk- 
ing fish  is  something  of  a  problem,  for  if  he  seek  out 
the  depths  in  which  to  do  his  ruminating,  it  is  up  to 
the  angler  to  stir  him  up,  not  an  easy  task.  With 
good  tackle  he  may  be  "pumped  up,"  after  the  tactics 
of  salmon  fishermen;  simply  reel  the  tip  of  the  rod 
down  to  the  surface  of  the  water  and  lift,  praying 
the  while  that  everything  will  hold.  In  playing  any 
fish  the  angler  should  seek  to  keep  the  battle  on  the 
surface;  fortunately,  the  fish  that  takes  the  lure  upon 
the  surface  usually  fights  there.  The  sulking  fish  is 
a  dangerous  one,  the  angler  has  no  means  of  know- 
ing what  his  capture  is  doing  down  there  in  the 
depths,  so,  if  possible,  keep  him  moving.  Remem- 
ber what  was  said  in  the  first  paragraph  of  this 
chapter. 


LANDING  TOOLS 

1.  Hand  nipper  for  bass.  4.    Gaff  hook  to  fit  net  handle. 

2.  Folding  net,  all  goes  in  handle.  5.     Folding  net  for  man  who  waded. 

3.  Folding  net. 


LANDING  TOOLS ;  HOW  TO  USE  THEM     i6i 

The  ideal  bass  water,  from  Micropterus's  view- 
point, is  well  supplied  with  snags,  and  it  is  dollars 
to  doughnuts  that  the  sulking  fish  is  worming  his 
way  between  the  rotten  ribs  of  some  wrecked 
Hesperus,  or  forcing  his  weary  body  beneath  some 
water-logged  tree-top.  No  other  fresh  water  fish 
will  so  quickly  avail  itself  of  natural  refuges;  with 
the  bass,  any  stick  or  stone  may  become  a  haven  of 
refuge  and  he  seeks  it  forthwith.  Nine  times  out  of 
ten  a  snagged  fish  is  a  lost  fish,  though  all  depends 
upon  the  character  of  the  snag.  Once  under  a  log, 
he  will  seldom  return  in  the  same  direction,  though 
we  have  all  seen  them  do  it  on  occasion.  If  the 
water  is  sufficiently  shallow  so  that  the  rodster  can 
observe  his  capture  the  problem  is  not  quite  so  com- 
plex, but  in  deep  water,  where  the  angler  must  fight 
through  sense  of  feeling  alone,  the  odds  are  all  in 
the  bass's  favor.  I  bet  on  the  fish.  A  single  stick 
up-turned  in  the  water  is  all  he  asks;  he  wraps  the 
line  around  it  with  devilish  ingenuity,  though  per- 
haps the  stick  becomes  as  much  of  a  puzzle  to  him  as 
it  is  a  problem  to  the  irate  angler;  he  winds  the  line 
around  it  because  he  must  swim  some-whither,  and 
if  he  frees  himself,  or  the  outraged  angler  breaks  his 
line,  what  brooks  it.  In  the  matter  of  a  snagged  fish, 
I  can  only  say,  don't  let  it  happen. 

That  reminds  me  of  an  auspicious  bit  of  angling 
bad  luck  of  a  few  years  ago.  I  was  shore  casting 
around  a  lake  just  fringed  with  down  cedars,  their 


i62      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

white  and  menacing  bones  protruding  from  the 
shores  "like  quills  upon  the  fretful  porcupine."  I 
could  just  manage  to  get  around  their  ends  without 
going  in  over  the  tops  of  my  waders.  No  bass  en- 
thusiast need  be  told  that  those  cedar  tops  and 
sunken  logs  were  appreciated  by  the  bronze-backs. 
It  was  good  fishing,  also  problematical  fishing:  every 
other  bass  snagged.  Well,  at  the  end  of  a  particu- 
larly bad  top  I  had  a  vicious  rise,  the  bass  knocking 
the  floating  lure  high  in  the  air.  I  cast  a  couple  of 
times  without  result,  then  backed  up  and  made  my 
way  around  on  shore.  Perhaps  an  hour  afterward  I 
returned  to  the  spot,  waded  quietly  out  to  within 
casting  distance  and  sent  my  lure  hurtling  through 
the  air.  It  struck  just  where  I  wanted  it  to  with  a 
resounding  splash.  Again  Mr.  Bass  rose,  calculated 
the  distance  just  right,  and  was  on.  Out  Into  the 
lake  he  went,  ripping  the  line  through  the  water  in 
a  way  to  gratify  my  heart;  turning,  he  came  back 
with  all  the  speed  of  an  ice  boat  in  a  quartering 
wind.  Then  the  unexpected  and  inexplicable  hap- 
pened; I  lost  control  of  the  reel,  my  thumb  played 
me  false  and  my  fish  was  under  the  white  bones  of  a 
cedar.  I  could  see  him  plainly,  and  realized  that  he 
was  what  I  suspected,  the  record  fish  of  the  day.  I 
desired  him  badly  because  I  knew  there  was  about  as 
much  chance  for  a  rich  man  to  enter  Heaven  as  there 
was  for  him  to  enter  my  gaping  creel.  I  tugged  on 
the  line  but  the  fish  would  not  stir.    "Hooks  solid  in 


LANDING  TOOLS;  HOW  TO  USE  THEM     163 

the  log!"  I  groaned.  The  bass  began  to  struggle 
and  I  moaned,  "He'll  tear  loose  and  leave  me  solid !" 
But  no,  the  fish  somehow  got  that  multi-hooked  lure 
back  through  under  the  long,  up  amid  the  out-reach- 
ing branches,  following  the  same  road  along  which 
he  entered,  and  was  out  in  the  lake  in  open  water 
once  again.  I  put  on  the  reverse  immediately,  churn- 
ing water  like  a  Mississippi  River  stern-wheeler, 
backed  away  from  the  menacing  top  and  played  and 
netted  my  fish.  What  was  your  question,  Jim? 
"Did  I  ever  tell  of  losing  a  fish?"  Ah,  those  stories 
are  not  worth  telling. 

In  playing  a  fish,  play  him.  I  mean  simply,  keep 
him  moving.  One  authority  advises  guiding  him  in 
figure  eight  movements.  I  am  not  so  particular, 
sounds  too  much  like  elocutionary  drill  in  gesturing. 
Just  keep  him  circling  around,  or  moving  out  and 
back,  anything  is  better  than  allowing  him  to  regain 
strength.  The  recuperative  power  of  a  black  bass 
is  simply  passing  belief.  Sometimes,  at  sight  of  the 
net,  he  finds  sufficient  strength  for  one  last  flop,  the 
flop  that  for  him  spells  liberty.  (Never  count  your 
fish  until  they  are  in  the  creel!)  I  know  of  nothing 
more  pathetic,  and  withal  regal,  than  a  black  bass 
defeated  but  not  vanquished,  waiting  for  the  net. 
Royally  he  fights  and  royally  he  surrenders,  dorsal 
fin  erect  in  defiance.  The  black  bass  never  strikes 
his  flag  even  when  conquered.  Remains,  the  landing 
tools  and  how  to  use  them. 


i64      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

To  the  point  where  the  bass  gives  up  the  struggle, 
whether  the  angler  fishes  from  a  boat  or  the  bank, 
wades  or  rides,  the  battle  must  be  conducted  in 
essentially  the  same  manner;  now  that  the  fish  lies 
inert  and  exhausted,  there  Is  a  wide  divergence  in  the 
style  of  landing-net  required.  The  fisherman  who 
wades  will  not  employ  the  same  sort  of  net  the  man. 
who  casts  from  a  boat  finds  most  convenient;  indeed' 
the  latter's  tool  is  very  awkward  for  the  former's 
purpose.  Furthermore,  there  Is  variety  in  nets  also. 
Just  run  through  the  advertising  pages  of  almost  any 
outdoor  magazine  and  note  the  offerings.  If  you 
desire  something  beside  a  net,  there  are  pinchers, 
automatic  gaffs,  hand  grippers  and  such  like  galore. 
Surely  the  angler's  individual  desires  and  whims  may 
be  satisfied.  I  do  not  expect  to  mention  all  nets,  that 
would  be  Impossible,  simply  give  the  reader  a  rough 
idea  of  the  general  style  of  net  that  should  be  used 
for  a  given  method  of  fishing,  leaving  the  selecting 
of  the  particular  make  to  the  fisherman.  Then,  in 
concluding,  I  shall  talk  briefly  of  gaffs,  for  they  must 
have  place  in  every  bass  angler's  outfit.  *'The  reason 
therefor  will  hereinafter  appear,"  as  the.lawyers  say. 

The  net  for  the  man  who  wades  must  possess  a 
short  handle,  and  all  bass  nets  should  be  wide  of  hoop 
as  compared  with  those  employed  in  trout  fishing.  I 
am  not  particular  as  to  the  shape  of  the  hoop,  you 
may  use  the  square-ender  if  you  think  it  more  con- 
venient; but  whatever  shape  you  select  be  sure  that 


i 


LANDING  TOOLS ;  HOW  TO  USE  THEM     165 

the  hoop  Is  sufficiently  strong  in  the  throat  and  that 
the  net  itself  is  well  made.  Personally,  I  like  the 
square  bottom  net,  but  after  all,  that  is  not  a  matter 
of  supreme  importance.  I  am  totally  out  of  conceit 
with  the  net  provided  with  a  rubber  sling,  the 
memory  of  several  w^elts  and  bumps  serving  to 
emphasize  my  dislike.  I  have  never  found  the  sling 
net  where  I  wanted  it,  though  perhaps  it  Is  because  I 
have  never  happened  upon  the  right  make.  I  desire 
a  good  folding  hand  net,  one  with  a  rigid  frame, 
convenient  and  get-at-able.  There  are  various  fold- 
ing nets,  built  for  trout  fishermen,  compact  enough 
to  go  into  the  ordinary  tackle-box,  though  they  take 
some  time  to  set  up.  Some  of  these  trout  nets  are 
arranged  to  hook  on  the  coat  of  the  angler,  and  if  the 
hoop  is  large  enough,  the  net-bag  deep  enough,  they 
will  do  nicely  for  the  bass  fisherman  who  wades. 
Our  fisherman  Is  In  the  water  knee-deep  or  deeper, 
a  long  handle  Is  a  decided  disadvantage,  he  must 
none  of  it.  As  to  whether  or  not  the  net-hoop  Itself 
should  fold,  all  depends  of  course  upon  the  needs  of 
the  individual  angler;  simply,  the  folding  frame  Is  a 
great  convenience  In  transporting  and  packing.  It 
must  be  set  up  when  in  use. 

A  number  of  automatic  gaffs  and  hand  nippers 
have  come  into  existence,  many  of  which  have  lived  a 
short  life.  I  remember  well  a  certain  automatic 
gaff,  when  set  with  jaws  wide  open  all  the  angler  had 
to  do  was  to  touch  the  fish,  the  jaws  closed  auto- 


i66      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

matlcally  and  the  fish  was  fast.  I  used  the  contriv- 
ance but  once  upon  a  bass  and  I  was  satisfied.  The 
nippers  closed  upon  my  capture,  transfixing  it  from 
both  sides  instantly,  killing  the  fish.  I  never  used 
the  gaff  to  land  another  black-bass.  Recently  a  new 
nipper  has  appeared  upon  the  market  which  seems  to 
have  some  points  of  excellence;  It  will  hold  the  fish 
securely,  but  after  all  I  much  doubt  that  it  will  take 
the  place  of  the  old  regulation  landing-net. 

The  requirements  of  the  boat  fisherman  are  some- 
what different  from  those  of  the  one  who  wades,  the 
former's  net  should  be  possessed  of  a  comparatively 
long  handle,  though  I  can  see  no  need  for  the  5  foot 
length  sometimes  employed.  A  30  inch  handle  Is 
long  enough  in  all  conscience,  more  convenient  and 
I  think,  on  the  whole,  generally  satisfactory.  Of 
course,  with  the  exceedingly  long  handle  It  is  pos- 
sible to  reach  well  out  from  the  boat,  but  I  had 
rather  play  the  fish  until  I  can  bring  him  close  up  to, 
the  boat  or  do  anything  with  him  I  please.  The  fun 
of  the  game  is  in  playing  the  fish  and  not  In  netting. 
I  would  gladly  eliminate  the  latter  if  possible.  I 
never  slip  the  landing  net  under  a  goodly  bass  that  I 
do  not  feel  sorry  for  my  prize,  he  puts  up  such  a  gal- 
lant fight  that  the  angler  possessed  of  an  atom  of 
sporting  blood  must  needs  respect  him. 

The  net  for  the  black  bass  fisherman  will  depend 
upon  the  individual  angler.  There  is  no  question  but 
that  the  long  handled  net  Is  most  convenient  whea 


LANDING  TOOLS;  HOW  TO  USE  THEM     167 

it  comes  to  actually  netting  the  fish,  though  it  must 
needs  be  carried  in  the  hand  as  one  makes  his  way 
along  the  bank,  and  the  manner  in  which  a  net  will 
cling  to  brush  is  enough  to  provoke  a  saint.  The 
angler  must  determine  for  himself  whether  or  not  he 
will  put  up  with  the  inconvenience  of  carrying  for 
the  advantage  accruing  in  landing  his  capture.  I 
have  carried  the  net  for  two  days  without  hooking  a 
fish  worth  while,  when  carrying  it  was  anything  but 
a  means  of  grace;  leaving  it  in  camp  upon  the  third 
day,  only  to  take  a  large  fish  which  it  was  next  to 
impossible  to  land  without  some  aid.  The  folding 
net,  if  not  too  much  folded,  has  the  value  of  porta- 
bility; a  net  which  folds  too  much  takes  too  long  to 
set  up,  and  the  chances  are  that  it  will  not  be  set  up 
when  the  rodster  needs  it  worst.  I  know  of  one  net 
that  is  always  folded  out  of  the  way,  and  a  single 
motion  will  bring  it  to  the  front  ready  to  greet  the 
weary  fish. 

So  much  for  the  types  of  nets,  now  about  using 
them.  Whatever  net  the  caster  selects  there  Is  just 
one  proper  way  of  netting  a  fish  and  that  Is,  head 
first.  Nearly  all  the  photographs  one  sees  disclose 
the  angler  pulling  tlie  net  over  the  tail  of  the  fish. 
All  wrong.  Let  the  bass  turn  and  go  into  the  net. 
Never  attempt  to  draw  the  net  over  a  bass,  especially 
tail  first.  Stands  to  reason  that  the  net  will  catch  on 
the  raised  fins  of  the  fish;  furthermore.  If  he  has  a 
bit  of  fight  left  in  him,  he  can  dash  out  of  the  net  In 


i68      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

spite  of  the  angler's  best  efforts.  The  rodster  has 
his  capture  at  a  manifest  disadvantage  when  he  turns 
Sir  Bass  into  the  net  as  Nature  planned  that  he 
should  swim.  It  seems  a  little  thing  but  like  many 
little  things  is  of  tremendous  importance.  Perhaps 
It  would  not  be  out  of  place  to  say  once  more  that  the 
fish  should  be  thoroughly  exhausted  before  an 
attempt  is  made  to  use  the  net,  a  modicum  of  strength 
remaining  to  the  fish  at  the  last  moment  is  often  the 
angler's  undoing.  Never  be  in  a  hurry  to-  use  the 
landing  tools.  Why  not  enjoy  the  game  to  the  limit, 
anyway?  Unless  you  are  fishing  for  something  to 
eat  simply  there  Is  no  need  for  hurry;  you  certainly 
are  not  trying  to  catch  more  bass  than  John  Smith, 
you  are  too  good  and  true  a  sportsman  for  that 
unethical  proceeding,  I  am  sure. 

There  are  times  when  the  bass  enthusiast  will  find 
himself  sans  net,  sans  gaff,  sans  everything:  what 
then?  He  will  play  the  fish  until  It  Is  weary,  then 
play  It  until  exhausted,  then  play  It  still  more;  when 
certain  there  Is  not  an  atom  of  strength  remaining 
he  will  lead  his  capture  close  up  to  the  boat,  reach 
down  carefully,  slip  his  fingers  In  Its  gills  and  lift  It 
gently  Into  the  boat.  It  can  be  done.  The  trick  Is 
not  at  all  difficult.  Strange  as  It  may  seem,  once  you 
have  your  fingers  In  Sir  Bronze-back's  gills  he  loses 
all  power  of  flopping,  or  seems  to.  This  is  a  point 
to  remember  when  you  have  a  badly  hooked  fish, 


LANDING  TOOLS ;  HOW  TO  USE  THEM     169 

simply  hold  him  by  the  underside  of  the  gills  and  dis- 
entagle  the  hook. 

I  can  not  write  of  netting  a  fish  without  adding  a 
word  regarding  that  which  should  follow  the  net  if 
the  angler  expects  to  use  the  bass  for  foodj  and  that 
is,  kill  It  at  once.  Do  not  leave  the  captive  to  die  a 
lingering  death,  flopping  Its  life  away  on  the  dry 
floor  of  a  boat,  or  perishing  on  a  string  thrown  o\*er 
the  side.  A  live  box  Is  of  course  a  convenience  un- 
less the  fish  Is  badly  hurt  by  the  hook,  or  the  box  is 
over-crowded.  Be  kind  to  your  fish  and  the  flesh  will 
be  much  better  for  food.  You  would  not  think  of 
eating  strangled  animal  flesh  would  you,  and  a  fish 
dying  out  of  its  natural  element  dies  practically  the 
same  death  that  a  land  animal  does  when  It  suffo- 
cates. A  quick  thrust  through  the  back  of  the  neck 
with  a  sharp  knife  will  do  for  a  bass  quickly  and 
mercifully.  Let  the  fish  bleed;  you  will  find  the 
flesh  more  firm  and  sweet  when  placed  In  the  pan. 
Kill  him  quickly  unless  you  are  going  to  liberate  him; 
If  so  do  It  at  once,  handling  the  body  only  as  much 
as  you  must,  and  only  with  thoroughly  wet  hands. 

Some  wise  guy  has  said  that  It  is  the  unexpected 
which  always  happens.  Now  I  do  not  know  what 
happened  to  him  that  he  said  it,  but  If  a  bass  angler 
I  can  Imagine — he  hooked  a  big  pike.  Always  the 
bass  caster  runs  the  chance  of  hooking  one  of  those 
fresh  water  wolves  and  he  should  have  all  his  plans 
of  battle  drawn  up  beforehand.    When  you  purchase 


I70      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

a  landing  net,  buy  one  with  a  separate  head  and  a 
gaff  hook  that  fits  the  net  handle  and  then  see  to  it 
that  that  hook  is  always  in  your  tackle-box,  then 
when  that  ^'unexpected"  big  pike  comes  along,  your 
companion  can  quickly  disengage  the  net-head  and 
substitute  the  convenient  gaff.  Always,  then,  the 
angler  has  a  convenient  and  dependable  gaff  as  well 
as  a  landing  net  with  him.  That  "unexpected"  pike 
deserves  a  bit  of  attention  for  no  bass  fan  is  willing 
to  have  a  ten  pound  pike  escape.  A  pistoMs  a  con- 
venient tool,  lacking  which  a  good  thick  club  can  be 
made  to  serve  right  well;  a  single  whack  between 
the  wicked  eyes  will  effectually  quiet  him  so  that  he 
can  be  lifted  into  the  boat,  where  his  spine  should  be 
quickly  severed  with  a  knife-blade  thrust.  The 
rodster  should  be  certain  that  the  fish  is  thoroughly 
wearied  before  he  strikes  with  the  club,  lest  a 
disastrous  and  grave  thing  happens  to  him,  he 
strikes  the  line  just  in  front  of  the  fish's  nose. 

As  an  illustration  of  the  "unexpected  pike"  allow 
me  to  narrate  a  personal  experience.  I  was  shore 
casting  on  a  certain  noted  Wisconsin  river,  all  by  my 
lonesome.  Three  nice  bass  had  come  to  my  net  and 
I  was  about  returning  to  camp,  when  a  whim  pos- 
sessed me  to  make  "just  one  more  cast"  in  the  direc- 
tion of  a  weed-bed  some  30  yards  distant.  Now, 
just  because  I  payed  a  little  attention  to  the  cast  it 
was  a  perfect  one,  and  a  monstrous  pike  took  my 
lure,  a  "Chippewa"  underwater.     What  a  fight  it 


LANDING  TOOLS;  HOW  TO  USE  THEM     171 

was !  Time  and  again  that  monster  had  all  but  a 
few  yards  stripped  from  my  reel  and  I  was  almost 
praying  that  he  might  break  loose  and  escape,  so 
save  my  rod.  He  was  well  hooked.  A  number  of 
times  I  had  him  reeled  up  to  within  striking  distance 
but  always  he  found  sufficient  strength  for  another 
run.  Just  as  I  had  about  despaired  of  ever  conquer- 
ing he  gave  up,  though  I  spent  another  ten  minutes 
making  him  swim  after  he  wanted  to  rest.  Finally 
I  brought  him  to  my  feet — I  was  out  in  the  water 
waist-deep,  by  the  way — slipped  my  fingers  into  his 
gills,  my  fingers  being  cruelly  lacerated  by  his  awful 
teeth,  and  dragged  him  inconsequentially  on  shore. 
Exhausted,  I  sat  down  and  admired.  That  night 
three  of  our  neighbors,  as  well  as  ourselves,  dined 
upon  baked  pike,  a  no  mean  dish  by  the  way.  Land- 
ing of  fish  is  not  wholly  a  matter  of  tools. 


CHAPTER  III 

FISHING  A  WADEABLE  STREAM 

No  water  is  quite  so  rare,  especially  In  the  North, 
as  a  wadeable  bass  stream;  yet  It  can  be  found, 
often  In  unexpected  localities.  To  Illustrate  without 
being  too  particular:  A  few  years  ago  I  lived  near  a 
little,  unimportant  Wisconsin  stream,  too  large  to  be 
called  a  creek  and  too  small  to  be  termed  a  river, 
though  It  was  so  denominated  on  many  maps.  In 
early  days  the  stream  was  a  somewhat  noted  trout 
water,  but  through  clearing  of  the  land  and  extensive 
agricultural  operations,  the  temperature  of  the  water 
was  raised  to  such  an  extent  as  to  make  it  untenable 
for  the  aristocratic  lover  of  cold  water.  As  a  result 
the  small  boy  fished  Its  quiet  pools  for  *'shlners," 
beyond  which  Its  Ichthylc  possibilities  were  unex- 
plored. It  remained  for  me  to  discover  that  small 
mouth  bass  had  made  their  way  into  the  stream  and 
were  gradually  working  up  to  Its  source.  And  why 
not  bass?  That  river,  like  many  another,  emptied 
into  a  lake  well  stocked  with  the  bronze-back  war- 
riors, and  It  was  to  be  expected,  character  of  the 
water  permitting,  that  they  would  habitat  themselves 
in  all  In-flowing  streams.    I  kept  the  secret  close  for 

172 


FISHING  A  WADEABLE   STREAM        173 

three  years  and  experimented  with  short  rod  and 
artificial  lures,  the  results  of  which  are  largely  set 
down  in  this  chapter.  Be  it  said,  however,  that 
river  is  the  only  stream  I  have  found  in  Northern 
United  States  offering  ideal  conditions  for  wading, 
though  I  have  no  doubt  that  it  could  be  duplicated  in 
many  localities.  (See  note  at  close  of  chapter.)  The 
findings  of  other  anglers  may  not  agree  with  mine, 
for  as  I  have  often  pointed  out,  fishing  conditions 
are  not  the  same  upon  any  two  streams. 

I  do  not  know  why  some  anglers  seem  to  think 
that  a  boat  is  essential  to  bass  fishing  with  the  short 
rod  and  artificial  lures.  Again  and  again  I  have 
proven  that  bass  can  be  taken  successfully  from  the 
banks  of  rivers  and  lakes,  though  I  am  free  to  con- 
fess that  boat-fishing  is  easier  and  generally  more 
fruitful.  However,  it  remains  for  me  to  say  that 
lure  casting  along  a  wadeable  stream  is  the  very 
poetry  of  sport  with  the  short  rod.  In  fishing  a 
shallow  stream  one  can  not  fail  of  being  impressed 
with  his  environment.  As  an  Irish  friend  of  mine 
has  rather  wittily  put  it,  "There  is  more  environment 
to  a  river  than  to  a  lake."  You  wade  along,  the 
wooded  banks  or  broad  fields  forever  passing  to  the 
rear,  but  never  gone.  Every  bend  of  the  stream  dis- 
closes new  vistas,  ever  changing,  each  more  surpass- 
ingly beautiful  than  the  last;  even  as  they  offer 
untried  pools,  which  may  shelter  the  dreamed  of 
monster  or  present  problems  the  solving  of  which 


174      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

will  require  all  the  skill  of  trained  arm  and  eye.  If 
the  reader  is  fortunate  enough  to  have  the  acquaint- 
anceship of  such  a  stream,  let  me  urge  him  not  to 
resort  to  the  fly  rod  to  the  exclusion  of  the  short 
caster.  I  am  a  user  of  the  light  rod  myself,  but  I 
am  only  beginning  to  appreciate  the  possibilities  of 
the  short  rod  upon  wadeable  bass  streams,  even  as  I 
am  beginning  to  understand  that  more  streams  are 
wadeable  than  I  have  heretofore  imagined.  True, 
many  rivers  possess  deep  pools,  rods  of  slack  water 
above  dams  or  natural  obstructions  where  wading  is 
out  of  the  question ;  but  the  rodster  can  walk  around 
them  upon  the  bank,  casting  a  speculative  lure  here 
and  there  beneath  the  fringing  trees  as  he  makes  his 
way  along,  until  he  reaches  the  shallows  below.  Even 
the  expert  rodster  can  not  become  so  enamored  with 
his  tackle  and  the  game  he  Is  playing  as  to  forget  for 
a  single  instant  his  surroundings. 

As  to  special  equipment  required  little  need  be 
said.  Obviously  the  lures  must  be  carried  in  some 
convenient  tackle-box,  of  which  there  are  few  upon 
the  market  as  yet,  for  the  manufacturers  must  cater 
to  the  multitude  who  fish  from  boats.  The  box  must 
be  small  so  as  to  be  out  of  the  day,  and  provided 
with  a  shoulder-strap;  though  the  belt-case  is  still 
more  convenient,  out  of  the  way  and  easily  reached. 
Personally  I  had  rather  carry  a  large  creel;  pro- 
vided with  patent  harness  It  can  be  pushed  well 
around  upon  the  back  and  out  of  the  way,  placing 


FISHING   A   WADEABLE   STREAM        175 

my  extra  lures,  never  over  three  or  four,  in  that, 
each  In  its  individual  tin  box.  Still,  for  the  man  who 
desires  plenty  of  lures  and  other  tackle,  I  strongly 
recommend  the  shoulder-strap-case,  or  better  yet,  the 
belt-box. 

Underwater  lures  the  shore  caster  will  not  need, 
the  surface  or  surface-underwater  being  far  and 
away  the  best  for  this  sort  of  work.  The  landing 
net  should  be  of  the  folding  variety,  or  such  as  are 
used  in  trout  stream  fishing,  perhaps  a  wee  bit  larger 
in  the  hoop.  The  angler  should  secure  the  most 
convenient  net  with  which  he  is  acquainted.  (As  was 
emphasized  in  Chapter  II,  I  have  a  grudge  against 
the  rubber  sling,  it  likes  too  well  to  catch  upon  a 
limb  and  hold  back  until  in  an  unwary  moment  the 
angler  exposes  some  vulnerable  part  of  his  anatomy, 
then — "whang  1"  he  gets  it.)  Of  course  the  rod  will 
be  the  angler's  favorite  caster,  and  the  reel  that  par- 
ticular pet  winch,  in  the  angler's  estimation,  second 
to  none.  Regarding  these  matters  I  have  nothing  to 
say  here.  The  rodster  will  need  waders  of  some  sort 
unless  he  enjoys  swimming,  in  which  case  he  will 
have  ample  opportunity  to  gratify  his  desires,  for 
even  an  apparently  shallow  bass  stream  will  disclose 
unlooked  for  depths  now  and  then.  If  the  reader, 
as  I,  wear  waders,  he  will  be  nervously  anxious  lest 
he  step  into  some  hole  too  deep  for  them,  and  end 
his  anxiety  by  doing  so.  Upon  the  whole  I  think  he 
will  avoid  many  disappointments,  anguish  of  soul, 


176      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

and  perhaps  profanity,  by  wearing  woolen  under- 
clothes and  going  in  all  over  when  first  he  sets  out. 
But  this  is  not  primarily  a  chapter  upon  tackle  and 
outfit,  rather  it  is  a  discussion  of  how  to  use  that 
with  which  the  reader  is  already  familiar  in  a  little 
known  sport. 

While  in  fly  fishing  it  is  always  the  part  of  wisdom 
to  fish  against  the  current  wherever  possible,  in  cast- 
ing artificial  lures  from  the  middle  of  a  river  the 
practice  is  frought  with  extreme  danger.  '  Casting 
up-stream,  a  back-lash  appears,  without  rhyme  or 
reason,  and  what  is  the  result?  The  angler  waits  to 
untangle  the  knotted  line  before  he  attempts  to  reel 
in;  instantly  that  floating  lure  is  between  his  legs  or 
creeping  off  under  the  down-reaching  roots  of  some 
multi-footed  pine  stump.  There  is  a  special  legion 
of  devils  waiting  to  possess  the  harmless  floating  lure 
once  the  angler  exposes  it  upon  the  surface  of  a  river 
with  even  a  moderate  current.  Perhaps  the  reader 
thinks  he  is  acquainted  with  all  the  perversities  of  a 
lure,  but  let  me  tell  you  that  unless  you  have  experi- 
mented with  mid-stream  casting  in  knee-and-a-half- 
deep  water,  you  have  never  even  imagined  what  a 
lure  can  do.  The  chances  are,  if  It  creeps  off  into 
some  eddy  and  tangles  up  in  surface-sweeping 
branches  or  fastens  upon  some  variety  of  immovable 
snag,  the  caster  will  discover  that  the  water  beneath 
is  over  his  head.  Better  follow  the  foam.  Unques- 
tionably the  hooking  efliciency  of  any  given  lure  is 


FISHING  A  WADEABLE  STREAM         177 

greater  when  cast  against  the  current,  provided 
always  that  the  angler  is  in  a  position  to  strike  at 
the  first  intimation  of  a  rise.  I  have  experimented  at 
length,  both  when  wading  and  when  breasting  the 
current  in  a  boat,  and  speak  from  long  experience 
when  I  say  that  more  bass  will  be  taken  when  the 
casts  are  made  right  and  left,  quartering  against  the 
current.  It  is  possible  to  simulate  the  upstream  cast, 
working  right  and  left,  even  when  following  the 
foam. 

Wherever  drift  has  accumulated,  an  undermined 
;tump  offers  refuge,  a  sunken  log  makes  the  water 
curl,  or  a  pole  six  inches  in  diameter  lies  half  buried 
in  the  silt,  there  look  for  a  bass.  Each  season  I  am 
'Surprised  over  again  by  discovering  perdu  fish  where 
apparently  there  was  not  sufficient  covering  to  con- 
ceal a  three  inch  minnow.  How  they  accomplish  it 
IS  beyond  me.  Recently  I  was  fishing  shallow  water, 
it  actually  was  not  over  eight  inches  deep.  Ap- 
proaching a  submerged  pole,  six  inches  or  so  in 
diameter,  I  drew  my  lure  along  its  upper  side  with 
little  expectation  of  a  strike ;  but,  and  I  must  empha- 
size the  point,  I  never  pass  any  snag,  no  matter  how 
small,  without  testing  its  "fishableness."  Imagine 
iiny  surprise,  then,  when  a  two  pound  small-mouth 
[came  from  somewhere  beneath  or  along  that  snag 
[and  took  my  lure  with  a  viciousness  to  delight  the 
■heart  of  any  battle-loving  angler.  Mind  you,  the 
whole  length  of  that  pole  was  in  plain  sight  and  I 


178      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

could  not  discover  a  hiding  place  large  enough  to 
conceal  a  full-grown  fish.  After  the  battle,  when 
the  bass  was  safely  creeled,  I  examined  the  sunken 
snag  with  interest  and  discovered  a  crook  in  the  pole 
had  caused  an  eddy  near  the  shore  end  that  had 
mined  out  a  hole  eight  or  ten  inches  deep  in  the  silt; 
in  that  I  think  the  bass  lay  in  wait  for  its  prey.  I  say 
"I  think,"  for  of  course  I  do  not  know. 

It  seems  almost  superfluous  to  add  that  care  must 
be  exercised  in  casting  over  snaggy  waters,,  not  only 
because  the  hook  may  be  fouled  in  retrieving,  but 
because  if  the  rodster  hooks  a  fish  the  latter  will  be 
quick  to  seize  the  advantage  offered  by  the  proximity 
of  such  refuges.  I  know  of  no  variety  of  angling 
where  casting  skill  is  of  greater  worth,  accuracy  and 
♦distance  both  being  valuable  assets.  The  caster  does 
not  wade  where  the  bass  are  but  where  they  are  not, 
casting  into  their  favorite  lurking  places.  Obviously, 
in  order  to  achieve  a  success  worth  while,  the  angler 
must  be  able  to  place  the  lure  where  it  should  go, 
not  now  and  then,  but  nine  times  out  of  ten,  say. 
Here,  as  the  copy-books  used  cheerfully  to  assert, 
"Practice  makes  perfect."  You  will  find  casting  in 
thigh-deep  water  something  of  a  problem,  especially 
if  standing  in  a  swift  current.  You  will  find  yourself 
forgetting  a  great  deal  learned  regarding  **over- 
hand,"  "underhand,"  and  other  varieties  of  casts, 
improvising  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  a  given 
problem.    Whatever  the  angler  does  or  does  not  do. 


FISHING  A  WADEABLE  STREAM         179 

never  for  a  single  moment  should  he  lose  control  of 
his  lure.  He  should  always  keep  a  taut  line.  When 
casting  in-shore  or  against  snags,  the  instant  the  lure 
strikes  the  water,  the  rodster  should  begin  to  reel, 
tip  of  rod  pointed  directly  at  the  lure;  then  should  a 
bass  rise,  he  is  in  the  proper  position  to  strike,  by 
swinging  the  tip  of  the  rod  sharply  to  left  or  right — 
always  against  the  current.  But  it  is  woefully  hard 
to  give  plain  and  adequate  Instructions  on  paper,  so 
many  unknown  elements  may  enter  Into  the  problem 
of  any  given  cast.  After  all,  the  only  worth  while 
guide  is  that  high  salaried  teacher.  Madam 
Experience. 

If  your  wadeable  stream  sweeps  through  meadow- 
lands,  arching  grass  leaning  out  over  the  moving 
water,  cast  close  In — if  the  grass  Is  not  too  heavy — 
through  it:  for  back  under  the  shielding  grass,  the 
current  has  mined  a  hole  in  th€  soft  bank,  broader 
and  deeper  than  you  would  Imagine.  Such  pools  are 
sure  to  be  found  at  a  bend  of  the  stream,  on  the  side 
followed  by  the  current.  As  I  said  before,  it  would 
be  better,  from  the  view-point  of  hooking  simply,  to 
fish  such  places  from  below,  but  for  the  reasons 
adduced  I  fish  from  above;  though  once  In  a  while, 
when  an  especially  likely  looking  spot  appears,  I  go 
around  and  fish  from  below.  This  Is  the  point  I 
would  emphasize  here,  the  angler  should  fish  every 
foot  of  the  overhanging  bank  thoroughly. 

Often   an   undermined   tree    leans    out  over   the 


i8o      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

water,  its  trailing  branches  sweeping  the  rippling 
surface.  I  have  a  mental  picture  of  a  basswood 
lying  low  over  the  water,  its  broad,  heart-shaped 
leaves,  many  of  which  was  submerged,  offering  shel- 
ter to  foraying  small-mouth.  Indeed,  so  much 
foliage  was  submerged  that  it  deflected  the  current 
to  a  certain  extent,  forming  a  little  whirlpool  at  the 
base  of  the  trunk  close  in  shore.  The  water  was  five 
or  six  feet  deep.  An  angler  who  possessed  sufficient 
temerity,  plus  skill,  to  let  a  lure  down  under  those 
menacing  branches  was  sure  of  a  strike,  though  It 
was  an  even  break  as  to  whether  or  not  he  would 
creel  his  fish.  Under  such  conditions  the  rodster 
should  seek  to  coax  the  fish  out  into  the  open,  resort-  ^ 
ing  to  hazardous  methods  only  when  all  sane  expedi-  \ 
ents  fail.  To  continue  to  write  of  the  lurking  places 
of  bass  along  a  wadeable  stream  would  be  a  pleasure, 
but  already  this  chapter  is  stretching  out  to  unusual 
lengths  and  I  must  reserve  at  least  one  paragraph 
for  a  few  words  of  advice  regarding  playing  and 
netting  the  fish,  supplementary  to  the  chapter  upon 
that  subject.  Be  it  said,  however,  ere  we  leave  the 
matter  of  hooking  fish,  the  stream  angler  must  be 
possessed  of  considerable  initiative,  originality,  and 
yes,  imagination. 

To  attempt  to  say  just  what  methods  should  be 
employed  in  playing  a  fish  would  be  presumptuous, 
for  there  are  unique  problems  to  be  solved  in  every 
ichythic  battle ;  no  two  struggles  worth  the  name  are 
exactly  alike,  though  there  are  certain  suggestions 


1 


FISHING  A  WADEABLE  STREAM         i8i 

which  may  not  be  out  of  place  regarding  the  variety 
of  angling  with  which  we  have  to  do.  Suppose  the 
rodster  had  hooked  a  fish  at  the  edge  of  the  bass- 
wood  hazard  mentioned  above — there  would  be  just 
one  thing  for  him  to  do,  keep  the  fish  from  fouling 
in  the  branches.  The  bass  would  attempt  to  dive 
under,  but  a  taut  line — the  rodster  should  not  give 
an  inch  e'en  though  the  line  break — will  serve  to 
swing  the  fish  out,  the  force  of  the  current  aiding, 
down  into  safe  water  below.  Perhaps  the  bass  will 
dash  up-stream,  if  so  the  fisherman  backs  up,  remem- 
bering that  a  taut  line  must  be  maintained  and  the 
tip  of  the  rod  pointed  in  the  direction  of  the  hooked 
fish.  Should  the  bass  leap,  and  if  he  is  a  bass  worthy 
the  name,  he  will,  the  caster  need  not  worry,  his 
straining  line  will  "pull  him  down.''  That  Is  all  I 
have  to  say  here.  Play  every  capture  until  com- 
pletely exhausted,  then  net  him  gently,  and  kill  him 
at  once  mercifully. 


Note:  Since  the  foregoing  chapter  was  written  I 
have  experimented  with  a  number  of  small  streams, 
for  the  most  part  so  small  that  no  one  fished  them,  and 
the  results  have  been  truly  surprising.  In  a  thickly 
settled  farming  community  I  fished  half  a  mile  of  shal- 
low water,  not  over  knee-deep,  except  in  holes  under 
the  bank,  taking  half  a  dozen  as  fine  small-mouth  as 
were  ever  won  from  the  upper  reaches  of  the  lordly 
Mississippi.  I  am  coming  to  believe  that  in  the  Middle 
West  there  are  scores  of  small-mouth  streams  awaiting 
some  ichthyic  Columbus. 


CHAPTER  IV 

FISHING  A  RIVER  FROM  A  BOAT 

That  there  are  many  varieties  of  bass  fishing  every 
devotee  of  the  short  rod  and  multiplying  reel  knows 
right  well.  Sometimes  I  find  myself  thinking  that 
fishing  from  the  shore — to  be  described  in  a  follow- 
ing chapter — is  the  most  enjoyable;  then,  when  I 
feel  the  snarling  current  gnawing  at  my  waders,  I 
think  wading  is  far  and  away  the  most  enjoyable. 
The  truth  of  the  matter  is,  there  is  no  best  method ; 
all  are  good.  In  this  chapter  I  am  to  talk  of  that 
time-worn,  though  never  out-worn  method,  floating 
v/ith  the  current. 

It  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  imagine  anything  more 
satisfactory  from  the  view-point  of  the  nature  lover, 
or  successful  from  that  of  the  angler.  Always  the 
scene  changes,  every  bend  of  the  river  disclosing 
new  beauties  and  wonders  to  exclaim  over;  even  a 
perfectly  familiar  stream,  whose  banks  an  angler 
has  tramped  for  y-ears,  becomes  surpassingly  lovely 
when  viewed  from  the  coigne  of  an  open  boat.  The 
method  appeals  to  the  rodster  because  every  cast  is 
into  undisturbed  new  water;  if  he  wills  it  so,  every 
bend,  snag  and  leaning  tree  offering  uncaught  fish. 

182 


FISHING  A  RIVER  FROM  A  BOAT        183 

The  ichythic  possibilities  of  five  miles  of  measurably 
swift  bass  water  are  almost  beyond  the  power  of  pen 
to  describe.  Of  course  the  successful  fisherman  will 
be  possessed  of  "fish  sense,"  know  the  habits  and 
lurking  places  of  the  bass  he  seeks,  without  which 
the  best  tackle,  boat,  skill  with  rod,  and  populous 
water,  will  not  avail.  In  this  chapter  it  is  my  pur- 
pose to  offer  a  f ew^  hints  regarding  how  to  fish  from  a 
boat,  though  I  hope  never  to  lose  sight  of  the 
aesthetical,  for  that  is  as  worth  while  as  the 
piscatorial. 

It  may  be  possible  to  "paddle  your  own  canoe" 
and  cast  as  you  make  your  way  along,  but  the 
average  angler,  so  doing,  will  miss  some  of  the  best 
fishing,  and  the  chances  are  that  when  he  hooks  the 
always  dreamed-of  "big  one,"  he  will  experience 
trouble  with  his  boat,  his  tackle,  lose  the  monster, 
and  perhaps  take  an  involuntary  bath.  While  I  am 
free  to  admit  that  a  companion  is  not  always  an 
unmixed  blessing,  I  do  not  well  see  how  he  can  be 
dispensed  with  when  riding  the  current.  "Guide?" 
No,  never !  A  fishing  companion  is  by  all  odds  the 
better.  Two  fishermen  can  cast  "turn  and  turn 
about,"  which  adds  gentle  rivalry  to  the  sport. 
There  should  be  mutual  understanding  that  the  man 
at  the  paddle  is  to  hold  his  peace,  no  matter  what 
the  temptation  to  advise  and  instruct.  Naturally  the 
man  who  runs  the  boat  will  think  that  he  could  cast 
to  better  advantage,  and  play  the  hooked  fish  more 


i84      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

expertly;  let  him  think  so  but  keep  his  thoughts  to 
himself.  Such  an  understanding  will  obviate  all 
chances  for  friction.  It  is  as  useless  to  give  an  angler 
advice  as  it  is  to  waste  it  upon  a  lover :  both  will  be 
angered.  What  the  Latins  used  to  say  of  the  lover, 
*'Omms  amans,  amens'*  ("Every  lover  is  demented) , 
applies  with  equal  felicity  to  the  modern  follower  of 
Izaak  Walton. 

The  man  paddling  should  sit  in  the  stern,  the  man 
with  the  rod  well  forward;  thus  the  boat  will  main- 
tain a  level  keel,  and  the  caster,  if  at  all  skillful, 
need  not  worry  about  the  back-cast.  Such  an 
arrangement  also  has  the  advantage  of  placing  the 
rodster  "first  at  the  fish."  The  boatman  should  bend 
his  energies  to  put  the  man  in  the  bow  within  easy 
casting  distance  of  every  snag,  pool,  and  likely  look- 
ing spot.  Note  I  said  "easy  casting  distance" :  the 
rodster  should  never  attempt  overly  long  casts,  or 
run  the  chance  of  losing  control  of  his  lure.  Unless 
you  are  perfectly  familiar  with  the  water,  a  40  foot 
cast  is  long  enough  in  all  conscience,  for  a  dangerous 
snag  may  lurk  just  beneath  the  most  alluring  and 
innocent  appearing  surface.  Remember,  too,  that 
the  caster  is  stealing  along  almost  noiselessly,  the  dip 
of  his  paddle  creating  practically  no  disturbance.  If 
the  stream  is  not  too  wide,  keep  in  the  middle  cast- 
ing right  and  left,  as  the  current  seems  to  dictate, 
remembering  that  ordinarily  the  best  water  will  be 


FISHING  A  RIVER  FROM  A  BOAT        185 

on    the    current   side.      The    rodster   always    casts 
towards  weeds  and  obstructions. 

I  have  been  talking  of  down-stream  fishing  as 
though  there  was  no  possibility  of  fishing  against  the 
current.  It  is  practicable  to  breast  the  current  if  not 
too  swift,  but  the  boat  will  make  more  noise  and  the 
boatman  w^ould  have  to  be  supplied  with  oars  in  order 
to  make  much  headway.  Of  course  this  would  not 
apply  to  many  a  sluggish  river,  but  I  am  speaking 
of  those  Middle  West  streams  which  *'tumble  down 
hill,"  where  the  bass  are  not  overly  large  as  a  rule, 
but  gamy  to  a  degree.  While  I  think  the  rodster  is 
in  a  better  position  to  hook  his  bass,  casting  against 
the  current,  most  decidedly  he  is  in  the  poorest  posi- 
tion to  retrieve  his  lure.  Should  he  back-lash,  or  for 
any  reason  hesitate  for  a  few  seconds,  the  current 
will  have  in  the  meantime  thrown  his  lure  up  against 
a  snag  somewhere.  If  the  angler  has  considerable 
time  at  his  disposal,  it  would  not  be  a  bad  idea  to 
work  up-stream  as  far  as  he  cares  to  go,  fishing  care- 
fully, then  float  down  with  the  current;  he  will  find 
that  he  can  cover  a  given  amount  of  water  in  one- 
third  the  time,  or  less,  when  going  with  the  river. 
However,  I  must  add  that  he  will  fish  the  water 
more  thoroughly  going  up ;  taking  more  fish.  In  my 
experience,  at  least,  I  have  taken  two  bass  on  the  up 
journey  to  one  when  floating  with  the  current.  But 
taking  the  matter  by  and  large  it  is  just  as  well  for 
the  rodster  to  ship  his  boat  to  some  up-stream  point 


i86      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

and  let  the  current  which  turns  the  mill  wheels  do 
the  work;  that  advice  in  spite  of  the  confession  that 
I  have  taken  two  to  one  bass  working  up-stream.  It 
is  hard  work  to  forge  against  the  current.  When 
going  down-stream  even  the  most  expert  rodster  can 
not  possibly  touch  all  the  likely  holes,  the  current 
whips  him  by  so  quickly;  nor  will  he  be  in  a 
position  to  cast  into  the  best  spots  unless  intimately 
acquainted  with  the  water,  so  that  he  knows  from 
former  experiences  when  to  "hold  his  fire"  and  when 
to  "shoot." 

It  is  needless  to  discuss  tackle  here;  the  reader  is 
invited  to  turn  back  to  the  first  section  of  this 
volume  for  the  writer's  opinions  regarding  that  im- 
portant matter.  I  take  it  for  granted  that  the  angler 
uses  a  5  foot  or  5  foot  '6  rod,  than  which  there 
is  no  better  caster  for  this  variety  of  fishing.  The 
reel  is  the  angler's  favorite  quadruple  multiplier, 
nothing  slower  than  the  quadruple  need  be  fastened 
to  the  rod,  of  the  particular  vintage  he  loves — free- 
spool,  self-winder,  self-thumber,  or  just  a  plain 
orthodox  winch.  I  have  so  thoroughly  discussed  the 
matter  in  the  chapter  upon  the  subject  that  there  is 
no  need  for  more  words  here.  The  lure  will  of 
course  be  the  one  found  most  availing  in  the  locality. 
There  are  times  when  the  underwater  is  the  thing, 
though  such  a  lure  must  be  manipulated  with  care 
upon  a  small,  snaggy  stream;  upon  the  whole  the 
surface-underwater  will  prove  the  most  convenient, 


FISHING  A  RIVER  FROM  A  BOAT        187 

Its  floating  properties  being  a  decided  advantage  in 
tease   of   reel   trouble.      Even   a   floating  lure   will 

lanage  to  find  Its  way  against  many  a  snag.     Lest 

the  reader  neglect  to  take  an  underwater  with  him, 

let  me  urge  him  here  always  to  carry  three  or  four 

standard  lures  of  that  type  in  his  tackle-box.     You 

[will  find  many  a  deep  hole  and  eddy  where  success 

will  depend  upon  "going  down  after  'em,"  and  you 

iwill  desire  to  go.    A  deep  water,  if  well  shaded,  will 

[shelter  some  Field  and  Stream  prize  winners.     Cast 

into  the  shade.     Keep  the  boat  in  the  shallows  and 

Ish  the  deeps.     Ju^t  a  word  of  warning  regarding 

e  overhanging  trees :  look  out  for  them,  they  will 
:atch  the  lures  on  the  back-cast  if  given  half  a  chance, 
and,  if  casting  too  close  to  the  shore,  they  will  get 
the  lure  on  that  side  now  and  then.  It  is  somewhat 
serious  to  hook  up  with  a  stationary  object  when 
traveling  10  or  15  miles  an  hour. 

Every  snag — little  or  big,  simple  or  involved — 
^should  be  approached  with  stealth  and  fished  out 

Ith  care.  Unless  the  angler  is  acquainted  with  the 
^articular  snag  and  knows  its  secrets,  he  should  fish 
the  water  end  first,  and  work  gradually  in  shore. 

Iways  take  ample  time.  The  angler  has  all  the 
time  there  is.     "Rome  was  not  built  in  a  day,"  re- 

lember.  Three  casts  should  be  sufficient  to  fish  out 
^he  average  snag  unless  the  bass  are  lying  deep,  in 

^hlch  case  the  rodster  will  be  compelled  to  "go  down 

iter  them"  with  some  variety  of  underwater,   a 


i88      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS  M 

hazardous  thing  as  he  knows  or  will  discover  to  his 
sorrow.  When  the  boat  swings  around  a  bend  and 
the  rodster  sees  a  good  snag  before  him,  he  will 
edge  the  boat  into  the  opposite  shore;  where  the 
stream  is  not  too  wide  the  boatman  will  hold  it  with 
a  firm  paddle  thrust  into  the  bottom,  or  by  clinging 
to  over-hanging  branches,  while  the  angler  fishes  out 
the  water.  Always  he  will  cast  slightly  above  the 
snag,  waiting  a  second  or  two,  depending  upon  the 
speed  of  the  current,  for  the  lure  to  swing  down 
where  he  wants  it  before  beginning  to  reel.  He  must 
exercise  extreme  care  or  he  will  snag.  He  may  not 
sleep  on  the  job,  or  cast  and  admire  Nature  at  the 
same  time.  Any  variety  of  casting  is  not  the  sport 
of  a  lazy  man,  let  critics  say  what  they  choose  about 
the  matter. 

On  a  hot  midsummer  day  a  low-hanging  tree, 
branches  trailing  the  water,  will  be  sure  to  shelter 
one  or  more  goodly  fish.  I  remember  some  seasons 
ago  taking  what  my  companion  dubbed  "a  whole 
family  of  bass"  from  such  a  shelter  early  one  August 
morning:  six  oVlock,  to  be  exact;  two,  unusually 
large  for  the  stream  and  four  medium  sized.  The 
mere  fact  that  I  deem  it  worthy  of  mention  here 
proves  that  it  was  a  somewhat  unusual  occurrence. 
In  such  places,  unless  the  fish  are  really  feeding  in 
earnest,  the  rodster  will  find  underwater  lures  the 
most  successful.  Cast  well  above  and  let  the  lure 
travel  down  beneath  the  branches,  praying  the  while 


I 


FISHING  A  RIVER  FROM  A  BOAT        189 

that  none  hang  deep  In  the  water,  lest  he  come  to 
grief.  A  snag  deep  down  in  such  a  place,  if  the  river 
be  swift,  is  really  a  serious  matter.  It  is  easier  than 
the  unltlated  imagine  to  court  a  spill.  Listen,  you 
win  find  it  exceedingly  difficult  to  disengage  a  lure 
fast  on  a  swaying  branch  four  feet  beneath  the  sur- 
face; a  solid  snag  is  a  less  serious  problem.  Never- 
theless a  true  angler  will  not  allow  the  fear  of  snags 
to  drive  him  by  a  low-hanging  tree,  rather  he  will 
risk  precious  tackle  in  an  adventurous  cast. 

The  sleeping  log  Is  always  worth  investigating. 
Usually  It  has  been  brought  down  by  some  freshet 
and  left  with  one  end  embedded  in  the  silt,  the  other 
lying  out  in  the  water,  diagonally  to  the  current. 
The  chances  are  that  somewhere  along  its  length  the 
current  has  mined  out  a  hole  which  can  be  located 
by  the  welling  water  upon  the  lower  side.  That  is 
the  place  to  cast  first,  then  If  no  response  Is  received, 
fish  out  the  whole  log,  taking  time  to  do  it  thor- 
oughly. In  such  a  location  the  angler  must  be  ready 
to  swing  his  rod  sharply  to  right  or  left,  lest  the  bass 
get  under  the  log,  Its  tactics  every  time.  Fight  the 
'fish  with  the  spring  of  the  rod,  backed  up  with  the 
ever  ready  reel.  The  caster  must  remember  to  pay 
closest  attention  to  the  game  from  start  to  finish  or 
he  will  be  beaten.  The  black  bass  is  not  only  a  great 
fighter,  he  is  also  an  ichthylc  strategist  beyond 
compare. 

I  have  already  mentioned  the  eddy,  and  it  is  a 


I90      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

good  place  for  deep  fishing  unless  the  stream  is»] 
Infested  with  pickerel,  In  which  case  It  Is  apt  to  be 
inhabited  with  that  unsavory  gentleman.  The 
pickerel  is  all  right  in  his  place,  but  when  we  are 
casting  for  bass  we  desire  none  of  him.  The  eddy 
at  the  bend  or  elbow  of  a  stream  will  give  an  oppor- 
tunity for  long  casts  and  a  chance  to  try  out  under- 
water lures  without  fear  of  snags.  I  have  found, 
when  fishing  with  underwater  lures  of  any  sort, 
simple  trolling  spoon  or  involved  minnow  type,  that 
I  have  taken  more  fish  reeling  with  the  current.  I 
think  the  reason  Is,  that  when  drawing  the  lure 
against  the  current  It  travels  too  slow  to  attract  the 
average  bass.  Perhaps  I  am  wrong  in  my  theory, 
but  I  am  not  wrong  in  my  fact,  my  notes  for  twenty 
years  with  bass  substantiating  the  assertion.  In  the 
matter  of  eddy  fishing  I  can  only  reiterate  what  I 
have  said  regarding  casting  elsewhere,  make  haste 
slowly,  take  planty  of  time  to  fish  out  the  water. 
Let  no  likely  pool  or  hint  of  pool  pass  to  the  rear 
unfished.  The  patient  and  slow  fisherman  wins  out 
where  the  light  and  dilettante  angler  fails.  Re- 
member the  fable  of  the  hare  and  tortoise. 

It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  bass  prefer  a  diet  of 
crustaceans,  but  in  the  average  river  they  are  not 
adverse  to  an  occasional  minnow  or  two,  perhaps  as 
a  sort  of  dessert.  The  live  bait  fisherman  has  long 
known  that  there  is  no  better  bait  than  a  shiner 
minnow.    Where  a  creek  enters  the  main  stream,  the 


FISHING  A  RIVER  FROM  A  BOAT        191 

angler  will  find  a  deep  hole,  usually  below  the  creek's 
mouth;  there  cast,  early  in  the  morning  and  again 
late  In  the  afternoon,  according  to  the  feeding  habits 
in  that  particular  water.  Just  why  minnows  make 
their  way  down  to  the  mouths  of  such  brooks  is  not 
clear,  but  they  do,  many  of  them  becoming  food  for 
hungry  bass  and  pickerel.  Now  I  have  learned, 
when  casting,  to  expect  one  or  more  fish  from  those 
pools  and  seldom  am  I  disappointed.  After  the 
rodster  has  had  some  experience  in  stream  fishing 
from  an  open  boat,  he  will  come  to  cast  where  the 
fish  He,  well  nigh  instinctively.  The  true  angler 
almost  "feels"  the  proximity  of  a  bronze-back  war- 
rior. My  only  hope  is  that  the  foregoing  remarks 
may  aid  the  reader  to  become  acquainted  with  this 
most  fascinating  of  Ichthyic  sports,  fishing  from  a 
boat  where  the  tide  bears  you  along. 

Remains  but  a  few  words  regarding  playing  and 
netting  the  capture.  Elsewhere  in  this  volume  there 
is  a  chapter  upon  the  subject  together  with  some 
remarks  upon  landing  tools;  this,  then,  is  only  sup- 
plementary to  what  was  said  there.  Ordinarily  the 
angler  will  experience  little  trouble  In  hooking  the 
fish,  the  current  and  the  fish  itself  will  attend  to  that 
part  of  It;  but  he  may  find  It  somewhat  difficult  to 
play  his  capture  in  the  circumscribed  area,  where  all 
aids  and  advantages  are  upon  the  side  of  the  bass. 
If  the  rodster  lay  a  long  line,  and  the  water  is 
"snaggy,"  as  It  Is  in  nine-tenths  of  the  Middle  West 


192      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

bass  rivers,  the  current  will  sweep  the  bass  down 
where  the  problem  will  be  raised  to  the  n-th  place. 
The  overhanging  trees,  the  heap  of  drift-wood,  the 
down-reaching  roots  of  an  undermined  pine  stump, 
all  offer  sure  and  safe  refuge  for  the  bass. 

Did  I  not  warn  the  reader  at  the  very  beginning 
of  this  chapter  not  to  try  for  distance?  It  is  ex- 
tremely problematical  whether  or  not  the  caster  can 
successfully  handle  more  than  forty  feet  of  line  on 
the  average  hazardous  river,  a  greater  amount  is 
going  to  multiply  his  troubles  in  playing  and  netting. 
Casting  from  free  water  to  snaggy  is  a  great  aid, 
for  if  the  angler  is  quick  he  can  pull  his  capture  away 
from  the  dangerous  ground  by  sheer  strength  of  rod 
and  line.  A  good  rod  and  Hne  will  stand  the  abuse,; 
therefore  the  caster  should  never  employ  any  but  the 
best.  Often  the  boat-fisherman  can  drop  with  the 
current  below  the  fish's  snaggy  lair  and  so  play  him! 
in  free  water.  Eternal  vigilance  is  alone  the  price 
of  victory.  Never  attempt  to  net  any  fish  until  it  is 
thoroughly  and  completely  exhausted,  much  less  the 
resourceful  bronze-back,  a  fish  that  possesses  more 
unexpected  reserve  strength  than  even  the  rainbow 
trout.  As  to  when  the  moment  of  exhaustion  arrives 
will  depend  upon  the  particular  fish's  staying  powers; 
and  the  angler's  resourcefulness  and  stick-to-itive- 
ness.  Always  net  the  bass  head-foremost.  There  is 
little  need  for  saying  more  upon  this  subject,  we  dis- 
cussed it  quite  at  length  in  a  former  chapter;  anyway, 
no  two  battles  are  alike  and  no  man  may  say  just 


FISHING  A  RIVER  FROM  A  BOAT        193 


what  another  should  do  under  any  given  circum- 
stance Advice  given  upon  such  topics  as  the  one 
discussed  in  this  paragraph  must  be  more  or  less 
hypothetical. 

The  great  fascination  of  this  variety  of  casting  is 
the  ever  changing  panorama  of  flood  and  field  and 
wood,  while  the  chance  that  the  next  bend,  snag  or 
pool  may  contain  that  mythical  *'big  one,"  adds  zest 
and  piquancy.  The  rodster  holds  his  breath  as  the 
boat  sweeps  around  a  bend.  He  finds  his  reel-hand 
trembling  with  excitement  and  expectancy,  then  a 
beautiful  vista  unfolds  below,  and  forthwith  he 
forgets  all  about  rod  and  reel  and  fish.  Who  could 
think  only  of  the  game  when  voyaging  through  a 
veritable  fairyland?  Indeed  and  always,  ''It  is  not 
all  of  fishing  to  fish,"  nor  indeed,  as  for  that,  is  it  all 
of  living  to  exist.  Aside  from  the  surroundings,  it 
is  the  woo  of  the  unexpected  which  leads  the  angler 
on  and  on.  Never  is  he  satisfied  with  the  last  fish, 
perhaps  the  next  bend  will  produce  a  larger.  "Quien 
sabe?"  So  the  boat  fisherman  journeys,  all  agog 
with  expectancy,  always  open-eyed  and  open-eared  to 
his  beautiful  surroundings.  Reader:  if  you  have  not 
tested  the  possibilities  of  this  variety  of  casting — 
piscatorial,  aesthetical  and,  yes,  theological — there 
is  a  blank  page  in  your  book  of  angling  experiences. 
After  all  what  a  day  on  the  bosom  of  the  flood  will 
mean  to  you  will  depend  upon  what  you  yourself  are. 
Go,  then,  and  may  the  blessing  of  the  Red  Gods  go 
with  ye. 


CHAPTER  V 

SHORE  CASTING 

I  am  enamoured  of  bass  angling,  all  angling. 
Sometimes  I  find  myself  thinking  that  boat  casting  is 
the  most  enjoyable,  that  is  when  I  am  casting  from 
a  boat;  again  I  find  myself  as  firmly  believing  that 
wading  is  the  most  attractive  method,  that  is,  of 
course,  when  I  am  splashing  about  in  hip-boots;  and 
again  there  are  moments  when  I  fondly  insist  that 
trolling  is  far  and  away  the  contemplative  angler's 
recreation,  needless  to  add  that  is  when  I  am  stealing 
about  the  lake  in  the  shouding  mists  of  early  dawn, 
my  whirling  spoon  trailing  far  behind  the  canoe. 
Actually,  there  is  no  best,  or  most  enjoyable  method, 
all  are  good;  to  the  right  sort  of  an  individual,  soul- 
ravishing.  No,  that  is  not  hyperbole.  The  fact  of 
the  matter  is,  there  are  times  when  one  method  is  the 
successful  method,  and  still  other  times  when  some- 
thing radically  different  is  the  one  that  succeeds.  By 
the  same  token,  waters  differ,  and  neither  is  the 
angler  always  in  the  same  mood,  for  the  disciple  of 
Izaak  Walton  is  a  moody  individual,  as  moody  as 
the  black  bass.  To  me  the  great  attractlvity  of  cast- 
ing Is  its  many  methods,  a  method  for  any  water,  or 

194 


i 


THE  HAPPY  SHORE  CASTER 


SHORE  CASTING  195 

mood,  mood  of  fish  or  angler.  In  this  chapter  I  am 
to  converse  upon  shore-casting. 

Shore-casting  is  pre-eminently  a  river  sport. 
Seldom  can  it  be  indulged  in  upon  a  lake.  In  order 
to  cast  successfully  from  the  shore  the  rodster  must 
have  deep  water  within  reach  and  an  appreciable 
amount  of  room  for  the  back-cast.  However,  it  is 
surprising  how  the  experienced  caster  will  manage  to 
get  a  lure  out  where  Nature  provides  but  little  back 
room.  Casts  will  be  extemporized  on  the  spur  of  the 
moment,  to  the  astonishment  of  the  angler  himself, 
but  more  of  that  matter  further  along.  The  great 
attractivity  of  shore-casting  is  its  many  difficulties, 
problems  and  fish — ^yes,  jish.  The  man  who  under- 
stands the  habits  of  bass  and  knows  how  to  use  his 
tackle  need  never  fear  a  Ashless  creel.  Even  the 
*'fished-out"  stream  will  yield  a  bass  or  two. 

Some  seasons  ago  I  was  spending  my  vacation  in 
a  Middle  West  town,  a  little  village  built  upon  the 
banks  of  a  small  stream  with  ichthyic  memories. 
The  fishing,  like  the  business  of  the  town,  was  almost 
wholly  reminiscent.  The  patriarchs  would  button-hole 
me  at  every  opportunity  and  begin:  "Why,  boy, 
twenty-seven  years  ago  come  next  August,  I — ."  I 
soon  learned  to  fear  those  old  men  as  the  wedding 
guest  feared  the  ancient  mariner.  While  the  sleepy 
village  had  attractions  for  jaded  nerves,  the  patri- 
arch's interminable  stories  drove  me  to  solitary  ang- 
ling in  self  defense.    At  first  I  fished  perfunctorily. 


196      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

casting  simply  to  kill  time,  while  the  people  who  be- 
held *me  smiled  commiseratingly.  But  one  day,  a 
mighty  swirl  below  an  up-turned  stump  sent  my  heart 
into  my  throat,  and  as  a  result  I  set  myself  assidu- 
ously to  the  work.  I  mastered  the  problem.  Day  after 
day  I  wandered  up  and  down  the  banks  of  the  little 
stream,  casting  into  every  likely  looking  hole.  I  did 
not  take  a  fish  at  every  cast,  far  from  it,  three  or 
four  a  day  only.  But  such  fish !  Evidently  the  bass 
had  been  putting  on  avoirdupois  ever  since  the  last 
patriarch  had  surrendered  his  cane  pole  and  pork 
rind  bait,  putting  on  avoirdupois  while  waiting  for  a 
man  of  faith  and  leisure,  provided  with  modern 
plugs.  I  often  wonder  about  that  river,  if  any  one 
fishes  it  now;  if  so,  what  success  they  have.  Well, 
this  is  the  point:  there  is  a  field  for  the  shore  caster 
in  unexpected  quarters.  Perhaps  Fate  has  some- 
thing up  her  sleeve  for  you. 

Nothing  need  be  said  about  special  tackle  for  this 
variety  of  angling;  the  regular  rod  and  reel,  your 
favorites,  will  prove  all  that  can  be  desired.  The 
lures  also  need  no  comment,  though  I  would  urge  the 
caster  to  specialize  In  surface  and  surface-underwater 
types,  not  forgetting  one  or  two  good  underwaters 
for  the  occasional  deep  hole.  Of  course  all  will 
depend  upon  the  particular  river.  A  broad  and  deep 
stream  will  admit  of  almost  any  lure,  while  the  shal- 
low and  narrow  "creeks*'  will  preclude  all  but 
floaters.    Local  conditions  will  govern  the  character 


I 


SHORE  CASTING  197 

and  color  of  the  lure  as  I  have  pointed  out  again  and 
again  in  this  work.  The  true  caster  will  not  hesitate 
to  try  the  new  shapes  and  colors,  ofttimes  the  new 
wrinkle  will  surprise  some  old  and  wary  bass  into 
rising.  If  you  can  induce  a  bass  to  manifest  enough 
curiosity  to  investigate,  the  game  is  up  to  you. 

The  bank  fisherman  must  be  able  to  employ  every 
known  cast,  *'over-hand,"  "under-hand,"  "side- 
swipe"— and  then  so-me.  There  is  no  doubt  but  that 
the  "over-hand"  is  the  best  and  most  accurate,  but 
when  the  angler  is  standing  under  trees  with  low 
hanging  branches,  the  "over-head"  or  "over-hand" 
is  out  of  the  question.  Under  such  conditions  the 
much  maligned  "side-swipe"  is  the  thing.  Indeed, 
as  I  have  elsewhere  asserted,  the  rodster  will  learn 
to  start  a  cast  at  his  very  feet  with  a  sharp  upward 
jerk,  which  will  send  the  lure  out  upon  the  river  to  a 
considerable  distance.  (See  Chapter  I.)  Nat- 
urally such  a  cast  does  not  allow  of  much  control, 
but  this  is  not  tournament  show  work,  this  is  fishing, 
and  such  a  cast  will  result  in  rises.  To  play  a  fish, 
standing  on  a  bank  with  rod  pointing  straight  down, 
everything  in  reverse  order  almost,  requires  just  as 
much  skill  as  when  sitting  in  a  comfortable  boat. 
The  angler  will  find  the  low  branches  an  ever  present 
menace,  always  reaching  out  to  his  undoing.  The 
bank-caster  will  soon  learn  to  sacrifice  distance  to 
safety,  to  employ  all  his  skill  all  the  time. 

The  same  trees  that  oflfer  good  fishing  to  the 


198      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

wader  and  boat  caster  are  also  likely  places  for  the 
shorecaster.  I  think  I  am  safe  in  saying  that  never 
are  the  "sweepers"  so  dangerous  and  difficult  of 
access  as  when  approached  from  the  shore  side.  The 
force  which  made  of  the  tree  a  sweeper  sees  to  it 
that  down  underneath  the  trailing  branches  a  deep 
hole  has  been  mined,  even  on  a  small  stream  far 
deeper  than  the  uninitiated  imagines.  Shade,  depth, 
roots,  and  perhaps  lodged  drift,  what  better  home 
could  a  bronze-back  ask?  Those  very  elements 
which  make  the  location  ideal  from  the  fish's  view- 
point, render  it  exceedingly  hazardous  for  the 
angler.  You  may  always  set  it  down  as  an  ichthyic 
axiom,  the  greater  the  hazard  the  greater  the 
chances  for  a  fish.  Rather,  the  better  the  chances 
for  a  rise;  success  in  such  environment  is  always 
problematical.  The  cast  should  be  made  from  well 
above  if  possible,  trusting  the  current  to  swing  the 
lure  down  under  the  tree.  If  the  river  be  swift  of 
current,  attach  a  heavy  underwater  of  some  striking 
color,  having,  of  course,  looked  the  pool  over  pre- 
viously for  snags  and  obstructions.  If  the  cast  is 
made  from  a  position  too  near  the  down-tree,  the 
lure  will  strike  beyond  its  top,  swing  around  and 
tangle  as  sure  as  Fate.  Then,  too,  as  a  rule  bass  lie 
close  in-shore,  at  the  roots  of  the  tree.  Such  a  pool 
is  more  easily  fished  from  a  boat,  but  as  pointed  out 
in  the  chapter  on  that  subject,  too  often  the  angler  is 
carried  by  the  best  locations.     One  advantage  the 


SHORE  CASTING  199 

shore  fisherman  has  is  leisure,  opportunity  to  study 
and  fish  each  individual  hole.  As  in  all  angling,  I 
advise  the  reader  not  to  attempt  to  cover  too  much 
ground. 

Kipling's  "Raw,  right-angled  log  jam,"  the  piled 
up  refuse  of  many  a  spring-time  flood,  offers  possi- 
bilities. (I  think  I  put  that  well,  "offers  possibili- 
ties I")  To  fish  out  such  a  spot  demands  casting 
room,  patience  and  skill.  There  is  no  question  of  up 
or  down  stream  here,  it  must  be  down.  The  cast 
should  be  well  above  so  that  the  lure  will  have  time 
to  settle  or  be  drawn  into  the  water  before  the  cur- 
rent sweeps  it  down  against  the  debris.  The  angler 
must  be  on  the  job.  He  can  not  admire  Nature 
while  casting.  The  lure  must  be  under  absolute  con- 
trol or  it  will  be  thrust  hard  and  fast  against  some 
underwater  log  or  projecting  timber.  Always  the 
bass  are  In  such  piled  up  debris,  loving  the  shady 
depths  as  well  as  the  lazy  feeding  offered  by  the 
current.  If  the  fish  do  not  respond  to  the  under- 
water enticement,  fish  out  every  foot  of  the  surface 
reachable  with  some  dependable  surface  lure,  like 
the  "Coaxer"  for  instance.  Do  not  be  in  a  hurry. 
Sit  down  and  rest  between  whiles.  Do  not  give  up. 
The  secret  of  success  in  angling  is  always  to  believe 
that  there  is  a  fish  under  every  snag,  in  every  pool. 

In  other  chapters  I  have  already  mentioned  the 
undermined  stump,  those  projecting  roots  always 
seem  to  have  a  special  attraction  for  the  bass.     A 


200      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

stump,  held  erect  by  the  roots  still  remaining  in  the 
soil  but  with  one-half  or  two-thirds  of  the  tentacles 
projecting  out  and  down  into  the  water,  is  sure  to 
shelter  a  fish  and  therefore  should  not  be  passed 
carelessly  by  the  rodster  who  tramps  the  shore,  e'en 
though  casting  is  perilous  to  tackle.  The  only  way 
to  save  tackle  is  to  induce  the  fish  to  come  out  of  his 
lair.  If  the  angler  allows  the  lure  to  adventure 
down  amid  the  roots  and  the  fish  takes  it,  it. is  a  per- 
fectly safe  gamble  that  the  daring  angler  will  mourn 
a  lost  fish,  if  he  is  not  called  upon  to  assist  at  the 
obsequies  of  some  favorite  plug.  But  the  very  peril 
increases  the  attractiveness  of  the  game.  "Nothing 
ventured,  nothing  had,"  is  a  good  slogan  for  the 
shorecaster. 

Sometimes  when  following  down  a  river  the 
rodster  will  come  to  a  high,  steep  bank,  the  purling 
water  some  twenty  or  thirty  sheer  feet  below  him. 
Usually  the  current  washes  the  foot  of  such  a  bluff, 
while  the  far  bank  is  low  and  marshy,  the  reason 
therefor  being  not  far  to  seek.  Naturally  the  deep 
water  should  be  fished  from  the  other  side,  casting 
over,  but  the  fisherman  is  not  on  the  far  side  and  has 
no  means  of  crossing.  What  shall  he  do?  Shall  he 
pass  the  spot  un-fished,  waiting  for  another  day  when 
he  shall  be  upon  the  other  side  of  the  river?  A  good 
plan  perhaps,  but  if  the  steep  bank  is  clear  of  trees 
and  brush,  as  is  often  the  case,  I  should  say,  cast. 
"What,  from  the  top  ?"    Yes,  "from  the  top !"  Such 


SHORE  CASTING  201 

a  procedure  may  produce  thrills,  it  is  true,  but  what 
are  you  angling  for  any  way?  Just  imagine  hooking 
a  three  pound  bass  thirty  feet  below  you  with  no 
means  of  getting  down  to  him,  success  depending 
entirely  upon  your  ability  to  lead  the  broncho  of  the 
waters  to  some  point  where  the  bank  is  lower,  and 
he  can  be  reached  with  the  net. 

Which  leads  me  to  pause  just  long  enough  to  pay 
tribute  to  the  lure  of  the  impossible.  I  always  take 
a  chance.  No  matter  how  hazardous  the  place 
appears,  if  it  looks  "fishy'*  to  me,  I  cast.  Under- 
stand, however,  I  always  take  time  to  figure  out  the 
tactics  to  be  employed  In  case  I  hook  a  fish  before  I 
cast,  then,  murmuring,  "Abracadabra,"  I  send  the 
lure  hurtling  into  the  most  perilous  spots.  I  some- 
times lose  out,  but  I  can  say  without  a  smack  of  con- 
ceit, more  often  I  win.  I  attribute  half  my  success 
In  angling  to  my  dare-deviltry,  fishing  the  pool  the 
other  fellows  pass  by.  You  can  If  you  will,  reader, 
fishing  for  ordinary  fish,  in  ordinary  water,  on  an 
ordinary  summer  day,  so  contrive  that  your  fishing 
will  produce  thrills  comparable  to  those  enjoyed  by 
the  tarpon  enthusiast.  What  I  say  unto  one,  I  say 
unto  all,  take  a  chance. 

In  casting  along  a  small  stream  the  angler  will 
depend  upon  the  far  bank  for  the  major  portion  of 
his  creel.  I  have  already  told  of  fishing  the  likely 
places,  which  if  at  his  feet  will  be  "touched  up," 
merely,  waiting  for  a  chance  to  cross  and  fish  them 


202      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

out  from  the  far  side.  A  stream  50  to  100  feet  wide 
will  best  be  fished  across-water.  All  that  has  been 
said  about  lurking  places  holds  true  whether  fishing 
"in'*  or  "out,"  of  course.  To  fish  the  far  bank  the 
rodster  must  have  sufficient  room  for  the  back-cast 
and  the  overhead-swing.  Casting  above  obstructions 
and  waiting  for  the  lure  to  swing  down  into  fishy 
territory,  watching  the  while  for  out-reaching  snags. 
The  unacquainted  can  not  realize  how  fascinating  is 
the  sport,  accuracy  and  distance  playing  an  iniportant 
part  in  the  game.  As  a  rule  the  angler  will  have 
greater  success  fishing  in  the  current  when  it  bathes 
the  distant  bank.  If  the  shore  permits,  let  the  lure 
strike  against  the  bank  and  tumble  into  the  water,  a 
trick  the  small-mouth  will  "fall  for"  every  time.  If 
the  shore  be  grassy,  the  wise  rodster  will  slam  the 
lure  close  up  against  the  green  fringe,  the  greater 
the  commotion  made  the  better.  Often  a  river  pick- 
erel or  pike  will  find  the  lure  attractive,  striking  vin- 
dictively, perhaps  to  the  angler's  disgust  though  pick- 
erel even  are  good  to  practice  upon.  Personally  I  am 
not  a  hater  of  the  pike  family,  either  In  the  water  or 
pan.  If  the  far  bank  slopes  in  a  mud  flat  to  the 
water's  edge,  it  may  be  possible  to  toss  the  plug  upon 
the  mud  and  gently  pull  it  down  and  into  the  water 
without  noise  or  commotion.  While  a  bass  is  usually 
attracted  by  a  "splutter-budget"  style  of  casting, 
there  are  days  along  small  rivers  when  quietness 
seems  to  appeal  more  strongly.     If  the  far  bank  is 


SHORE  CASTING  203 

clear,  toss  the  lure  upon  it,  wait  for  things  to  quiet 
down,  then  "hop"  it  into  the  water.  When  casting, 
keep  in  the  shade,  eliminate  yourself  as  much  as  pos- 
sible, it  is  more  important  than  some  think.  Nat- 
urally, upon  a  river  of  some  width,  the  rodster  can 
cast  into  the  shade  on  the  far  side  with  good  results, 
but  keep  out  of  sight  as  much  as  possible. 

It  is  hardly  necessary,  as  it  is  not  expedient  to 
enlarge  overly  much  upon  the  playing  and  netting  of 
the  fish,  so  much  depends  upon  local  characteristics. 
I  have  said  my  say  in  the  chapter  upon  the  subject, 
here  referring  my  interested  and  curious  readers  to 
those  pages.  However,  I  must  insist  that  the  bank- 
caster  study  the  lay  of  the  land  before  he  sends  his 
lure  adventuring  out  upon  the  water;  after  a  little 
experience  he  can  plan  an  ichthyic  "battle  with  a 
single  glance,  know  absolutely  what  he  is  going  to 
do  if  the  bass  does  what  he  thinks  it  will.  I  demand 
that  the  printer  put  those  words  in  italics,  full 
capitals  would  be  none  too  impressive.  It  is  that 
one  element  of  chance  which  forever  menaces  the 
rodster  with  unknown  possibilities.  Just  the  same, 
the  mental  processes^ — a  Pickwickianism,  if  you 
please — of  the  average  bass  are  about  the  same. 
After  much  experience  the  shorecaster  can  gener- 
ally prognosticate  with  considerable  assurance  as  to 
what  a  bass  will  do,  though  he  may  not  do  it. 
Would  the  fisherman  have  it  otherwise  if  he  could? 


204      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

I  trow  not.  Even  shorecasting  without  surprises 
would  prove  very  drab  Indeed. 

Always  I  have  paid  tribute  to  the  fish  that  escapes. 
Many  times  I  have  been  compelled  to  take  off  my 
hat  to  the  victorious  bass,  invariably  I  think,  with 
fairly  good  grace.  Why  should  the  angler  mourn 
the  fish  that  gets  away?  May  it  not  be  hooked 
again?  At  any  rate,  has  not  the  angler  had  the 
thrill  of  battle?  I  will  grant  that  at  the  moment 
the  experience  is  soul-wrenching,  harrowing,  but 
when  a  few  days  have  mellowed  the  happening  It 
becomes  very  satisfactory  in  retrospect.  More 
than  once,  many  times,  indeed,  I  have  seen  the 
record  bass  of  the  day  or  season  regain  Its  liberty 
by  a  last  convulsive  flop  at  the  very  lip  o'  the  net. 
A  great  splashing,  a  rain  of  spray,  a  disappearing 
shadowy  form,  and  a  widening  circle  of  wavelets 
alone  recording  the  story.  Such  an  experience  Is 
good  for  the  angler's  soul,  I  presume;  at  any  rate, 
if  he  Is  wise,  he  will  discover  why  the  accident 
occurred,  and  so  compel  his  failures  to  contribute  to 
his  future  successes.  I  have  found  my  failures  more 
helpful  than  my  victories.  So  here  is  to  the  bass 
that  gets  away.  May  he  continue  to  teach  us  how 
to  angle  and  so  help  us  overcome  his  less  wily 
brethren. 

While,  as  I  have  said,  bank-casting  is  a  river 
method  largely,  It  is  possible  to  fish  some  lakes,  or 
portions  of  them.     More  than  once  I  have  climbed 


SHORE  CASTING  205 

out  on  down  trees  and  half  submerged  snags,  in 
order  to  secure  rod  room,  and  standing  thus  took 
more  than  one  good  mess.  I  have  found  small 
lakes  In  the  North  Country,  deep  from  the  very 
shore,  where  casting  could  be  indulged  in  with  joy 
and  success.  For  three  years  I  lived  near  a  small 
lake,  long  and  narrow,  with  deep  water  reaching 
the  bank  at  the  lower  end,  from  which  I  took  my 
quota  of  small-mouth.  At  some  points  the  trees 
leaned  out  over  the  water,  though  a  man  could 
creep  along  under  them,  flipping  his  lure  twenty  or 
thirty  feet  out,  a  method  that  brought  results  when 
bass  were  feeding.  I  can  well  remember  one  June 
evening  when  the  fish  under  those  trees  were 
numerous  and  would  rise  almost  at  my  feet.  I  took 
tour  bass,  losing  more  than  twice  as  many,  but  wjiat 
of  that?  That  lake  was  within  half  a  mile  of  a 
city  of  1,500.  Near  the  same  town  there  was 
another  lake,  across  the  middle  of  which  a  railway 
made  its  way.  Needless  to  say  one  could  cast  from 
the  bridge,  playing  hide  and  go  seek  with  the 
trains.  WHiIIe  ordinarily  I  urge  the  would-be  lake 
fisher  to  use  a  boat,  the  lack  of  a  craft  should  not 
deter  him  from  trying  his  luck. 

A  final  word  regarding  the  attractivlty  of  the 
sport  may  not  be  out  of  place.  To  steal  along  a 
river  bank  in  the  early  morning,  or  when  the  eve- 
ning shadows  gather,  dipping  now  and  then  Into 
likely  places,  wliile  the  birds  flit  In  and  out  of  the 


2o6      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

green  copses,  Is  very  -entrancing.  Even  In  mid-day 
the  sport  can  be  Indulged  in,  for  the  dense  shadows 
under  the  leaning  trees  always  shelter  feeding  fish 
in  a  populous  river.  I  have  found  the  best  hours 
to  be  those  from  dawn  to  eleven  o'clock,  and  again 
from  four  or  five  until  dark.  Yet  it  is  the  environ- 
ment, the  change  of  scene,  the  problems  presented, 
the  expected  fish,  and  the  thrill  of  the  battle,  which 
must  always  be  fought  against  fearful  odds,  that 
makes  bank  fishing  attractive  to  one  skillful  enough 
with  short  rod  and  multiplying  reel  to  attempt  it. 
I  know  of  no  variety  of  angling  that  will  so  quickly 
increase  the  angler's  control,  for  without  it  shore- 
casting  is  an  Impossibility. 

Under  no  conditions  is  the  leap  of  the  bass  more 
thrilling  and  beautiful.  Opposite  the  rodster,  forty 
or  fifty  feet  distant,  a  basswood  tree  leans  out  over 
the  water,  its  broad  leaves  playing  with  the  current, 
as  a  girl  loves  to  dabble  her  fingers,  leaning  over 
the  side  of  a  canoe.  Back  of  the  basswood  stand 
other  trees,  rank  on  rank,  until  lost  In  a  solid  mass 
of  green;  or  perhaps  the  leaning  tree  is  alone, 
reaching  away  and  away  beyond  are  broad  culti- 
vated fields.  Whatever  the  background,  the  picture 
is  complete  and  satisfying.  The  angler  pauses  to 
take  it  all  in,  even  to  the  marsh  hawk  soaring  in  the 
blue  overhead,  and  the  blue  harebells  ringing  In  the 
breeze.  Then  the  lure  is  sent  hissing  through  the 
air,  straight  as  an  arrow  from  a  practised  archer's 


SHORE  CASTING  207 

bow,  to  a  spot  some  two  or  three  feet  above  the 
sweeping  branches.  With  the  splash  of  the  lure  the 
reel  begins  to  turn  and  under  goes  the  red  and  white 
submerger.  Comes  the  rise  and  strike.  The  battle 
is  joined.  The  bass  fights  for  the  shelter  and  haven 
of  underwater  branches.  Foiled  by  rod  and  reel, 
he  goes  into  the  air,  shaking  the  bright  water  from 
his  glistening  sides,  and  is  back  into  his  element 
again  tugging  away  at  the  restraining  line.  Once 
and  again  comes  that  wondroois  leap,  for  an  instant 
the  curving,  burnished  bronze  body  Is  silhouetted 
against  the  green  of  the  sweeping  tree,  a  picture 
never  to  be  forgotten.  Such  is  the  leap  of  the  river 
bass,  and  the  attractivity  of  shore-casting. 


CHAPTER  VI 

CASTING  AFTER  DARK 

Perhaps  night  casting,  like  Milton's  "Paradise 
Lost,"  Is  more  admired  than  Indulged  In.  We  all 
gladly  acknowledge  Milton's  supremacy  among 
poets,  but — and  so — .  That  casting  artificial  lures 
In  Stygian  blackness  Is  ultimate  sport  we  all  eagerly 
admit,  too  eagerly  In  fact,  our  zeal  smacking  of  the 
litterateur's  admiration  for  our  greatest  poet.  In 
plain  English,  there  are  few  casters  who  essay  the 
sport  In  darkness,  and  "there's  a  reason."  It  shall 
be  my  purpose  In  this  chapter  to  talk  about  the  joys 
of  night  fishing,  putting  Its  attractiveness  In  the 
fore-front,  not  forgetting  to  enlarge  upon  the 
"how-to"  side  of  the  subject,  however. 

Night  casting  Is  beginning  where  the  other  fel- 
low leaves  off.  When  the  sun  kisses  the  tree  tops 
and  the  long  shadows  come  stretching  and  reaching 
In  from  the  western  shore,  the  night  fisher  shoves 
his  little  bark  out  upon  the  stilling  water.  No  mat- 
ter what  the  day  may  have  been,  how  windy  or 
tempestuous,  ordinarily  the  sable  hand  stills  the 
waves,  a  great  calm  settles  on  lake  and  shore.  The 
folk-saying,  "The  wind  will  go  down  with  the  sun,'* 

ao8 


CASTING  AFTER  DARK  209 

has  a  basis  of  fact,  which  can  not  be  said  of  all 
weather  apothegms.  The  sun  disappears  and  the 
lake  becomes  glass.  Night  creeps  in  from  the  east. 
Gradually  distant  objects  grow  hazy,  then  disap- 
pear. The  world  shrinks.  The  trees  along  the 
shore  take  on  a  ghostlike  character,  if  only  a  few 
rods  away,  looming  tall  and  specter-like  against 
the  twinkling  sky.  It  is  difficult  to  distinguish  the 
shore-line,  the  water  and  land  blending  in  the  half 
light  In  a  wonderfully  confusing  manner.  The 
weed-bed,  perfectly  familiar  in  mid-day,  assumes  a 
foreign  aspect  under  the  influence  of  Erebus  until 
one  is  prone  to  believe  that  he  never  saw  it  before. 
The  stars  in  the  water,  exaggerated  replicas  of 
those  sparkling  in  the  low  arch  -above,  adds  to  the 
angler's  tumult  of  mind.  Imagination  runs  amuck. 
Only  the  very  sane  or  very  phlegmatic  should  in- 
dulge in  night  casting.  No,  I  have  not  over-drawn 
the  matter  one  iota. 

From  the  foregoing  paragraph  it  would  at  once 
appear  that  the  fisherman  must  have  accurate  and 
intimate  knowledge  of  the  water;  know  the  location 
of  every  weed-bed,  snag  and  open  pool.  The 
rodster  must  study  the  water  to  be  cast  over  with 
minutest  care,  marking  open  pockets  along  the  edge 
of  the  weed-field  so  that  it  will  be  impossible  to 
make  a  mistake  after  night-fall.  He  will  even 
thrust  a  stick  or  two  deep  down  in  the  mud  a  few 
feet  to  the  left  or  right  of  the  spot  he  wishes  his 


210     CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

lures  to  strike.  He  will  be  sure  that  every  under- 
water snag  and  weed-bed  is  known.  Nothing  will 
be  taken  for  granted.  During  the  day  time  he  will 
cruise  up  and  down  the  field,  confining  himself  to  a 
very  circumscribed  area,  studying  conformation, 
currents  and  cat-tails.  After  night  has  fallen  there 
will  be  little  or  no  temptation  to  travel  a-far,  the 
angler  will  be  perfectly  satisfied  to  cover  a  re- 
stricted territory,  casting  not  too  often  but  well. 
In  no  variety  of  angling  is  accuracy  and  imtinctive 
control  of  tackle  of  greater  importance.  Again  and 
again  the  night  caster  will  be  compelled  to  depend 
upon  the  sense  of  feeling.  It  is  that  delightful 
mysteriousness  which  makes  the  sport  so  alluring 
to  the  experienced:  Let  me  advise  the  reader  not 
to  attempt  the  pastime  until  he  has  thoroughly 
mastered  the  short  rod  and  reel.  It  is  not  a  sport 
for  the  tyro.  Never  cast  after  dark  in  unfamiliar 
water  unless  you  can  contemplate  the  possibility  of 
a  broken  rod  or  snagged  lure  with  equanimity. 

Naturally  tackle  should  be  of  the  best,  nothing 
cheap  or  shoddy  from  butt-cap  to  trailing  hook.  If 
the  would-be  night  caster  possess  two  rods,  as  every 
experienced  bass  fan  should,  one  light  and  the  other 
somewhat  heavier,  let  him  employ  the  latter  by  all 
means.  The  added  weight  and  stiffness  will  not 
Interfere  with  the  casts,  and  may  prove  a  great 
asset  in  case  of  trouble.  Long  casts  will  not  be 
required  and  should  not  be  indulged  in.     Here  Is 


CASTING  AFTER  DARK  211 

the  place  beyond  all  question  for  the  self-thumbing 
reel,  for  no  matter  how  expert  the  rodster  may  be, 
how  sensitive  his  thumb,  he  is  going  to  back-lash; 
we  all  do,  and  that  will  be  his  consolation.  The 
spooling  device  Is  also  a  valuable  auxiliary,  for  it  is 
exceedingly  difficult  to  spool  the  line  evenly  after 
dark.  As  between  the  level-winder  and  self- 
thumber  for  night  fishing  I  would  find  it  hard  to 
choose,  both  in  combination  would  approach  the 
ideal.  I  have  already  emphasized  the  importance 
of  skill,  but  allow  me  to  say  that  only  the  past 
master  of  thumbing  should  undertake  night  casting 
with  the  regular  winch,  unless  his  boat  be  provided 
with  an  electric  dynamo  and  lights.  Is  that  impres- 
sive enough?  The  line  should  be  the  larger  of  the 
two  sizes  recommended  for  casting,  G  and  H,  of  as 
conspicuous  a  color  for  the  water  fished  as  can  be 
procured,  white  ordinarily.  This  is  more  important 
than  it  seems.  Time  and  again  the  angler  will 
desire  to  know  where  his  line  lies,  if  it  be  of  a  color 
that  blends  with  the  water  so  much  the  worse  for 
him. 

Floating  lures  and  surface-underwaters  only, 
more  of  the  first.  It  goes  without  saying  that  a 
simon-pure  underwater  should  never  be  used,  and 
multi-hooked  lures  avoided  as  one  flees  the  small- 
pox. The  angler  will  remove  all  but  the  belly 
treble,  if  so  doing  does  not  destroy  the  balance  of 
the  lure  and  in  weedy  water  or  where  snags  are 


212      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

numerous,  will  substitute  a  weedless  hook.  Sup- 
pose he  does  fail  to  hook  every  fish  that  strikes, 
that  is  better  than  hooking  every  weed  that  inter- 
feres, or  anchoring  solidly  to  a  log  In  the  blackness 
just  beyond.  There  is  a  legion  or  two  of  devils 
inhabiting  "the  blackness  beyond,"  whose  special 
mission  it  is  to  torture  the  soul  of  the  night  fisher- 
man, and  lest  they  have  their  way,  with  him,  he  will 
eschew  hooky  lures. 

Those  radio  lures  are  very  good  for  the  night 
caster  as  they  can  be  seen  in  the  thickest  darkness, 
indeed  the  darker  the  night  the  more  visible  they 
are.  Every  angler  is  acquainted  with  them.  The 
plug  is  coated  with  some  sort  of  phosphorescent 
paint  that  has  the  property  of  absorbing  and  radiat- 
ing light.  Exposed  to  the  sun,  or  even  to  the  flame 
of  a  match  for  a  moment  or  two,  they  will  glow 
with  a  bluIsh-whlte,  ghostly  light  for  some  hours. 
Whether  or  not  the  light  attracts  the  fish  is  an  open 
question,  but  it  does  reveal  the  location  of  the  lure 
to  the  anxious  boatman,  a  matter  oT  even  greater 
Importance.  There  are  a  number  of  good  lures 
upon  the  market  designed  especially  for  the  night 
fisherman.  I  would  select  those  that  make  quite  a 
splash  and  commotion  if  I  were  purchasing,  for  the 
bass  finds  the  commotionnmaklng  lure  almost  irre- 
sistible; he  strikes  at  it  first,  finds  out  afterwards 
what  it  is.  His  mental  processes — asking  the  par- 
don of  John  Burroughs — run  on  this  wise — "There 


I 


CASTING  AFTER  DARK  213 

IS  something  struggling  In  the  water,  it  is  trying  to 
escape  me,  it  must  be  good  to  eat,  I'll  grab  it."  And 
like  the  man  who  rushes  into  matrimonial  bliss,  he 
is  hooked,  then  repents.  I  want  a  little  color  on 
my  night  lures,  a  sort  of  red-headed  woodpecker 
effect;  or  that,  what's  Its  name,  the  lure  with  the 
white  body  and  cocked  red  feathers,  the  red 
feathers  concealing  the  up-turned  hook,  almost 
weedless.  This  would  be  my  word  to  the  man 
selecting  lures  for  night  fishing,  make  your  selec- 
tion with  the  particular  sport  In  mind  and  do  not 
skimp.  What  was  your  question,  Dorothea  Ann? 
''What  about  that  underwater  electric  light?" 
Dorothea  Ann,  Dorothea  Ann,  do  you  want  to  get 
me  into  trouble  ?    I  refuse  to  answer. 

There  are  one  or  two  extra  things  which  the 
night  caster's  tackle-box  should  contain,  chief  of 
which  is  a  good  sized  electric  flash  light,  one  with  a 
sliding  button  so  that  the  light  may  be  turned  on  for 
any  length  of  time.  If  the  reader  acts  upon  my 
advice  and  secures  one,  let  me  urge  upon  him  to  see 
that  the  battery  Is  fresh  when  he  pulls  away  from 
the  landing.  I  have  scratched  matches  until  that 
portion  of  male  attire  commonly  used  for  the  pur- 
pose has  looked  like  the  back  of  a  negro  after  a 
visit  by  the  White  Caps.  To  leave  the  rod  or  reel 
Is  no  less  disastrous  than  to  leave  the  flash  light,  or 
have  the  battery  run  out.  The  landing  net  should 
be  large,  though  it  Is  not  important  that  the  handle 


214      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

be  overly  long.  A  loaded  revolver  will  come  in 
handy  should  the  rodster  be  unfortunate  ( ?) 
enough  to  hook  a  large  pike.  A  spare  line  will 
give  a  sense  of  confidence.  Accidents  happen  not 
only  in  the  best  of  regulated  families,  but  also  in 
the  career  of  the  night  fisherman.  He  is  wise  who 
provides  for  any  contingency.  By  the  way,  I  have 
a  friend  who  always  carries  a  life  preserver,  but 
that  is  preparedness  beyond  the  imagining  of  our 
Theodore;  however,  boats  have  been  known  to  tip 
over  In  the  wild  scramble  which  sometimes  occurs 
incident  to  the  netting  of  a  large  bass. 

I  have  already  written  largely  upon  the  subject 
of  fishing  companions,  but  suffer  a  word  or  two  in 
addition.  If  it  is  the  caster's  purpose  to  move  about 
from  spot  to  spot,  or  along  the  edge  of  weed-beds 
or  shore,  a  companion  is  an  absolute  essential. 
While  I  am  one  of  the  "go  alone"  clan,  still  I  value 
comradship  highly.  Let  the  rodster  select  his  night 
companion  as  he  would  a  life-partner,  with  discrimi- 
nation and  care.  Not  a  guide,  no,  but  a  companion, 
like  himself  in  love  with  the  sport  for  sport's  sake, 
and  as  intimately  acquainted  with  the  water.  The 
loquacious  individual  should  be  abhorred  as  the 
plague,  a  mute  being  preferable.  Let  Caliban's  cre- 
ative "Quiet"  have  the  mastery.  The  only  sounds 
those  made  by  Nature's  wakeful  denizens,  and  the 
splashing  of  feeding  fish.  There  Is  a  silent  comrad- 
ship which  is  as  Infinitely  superior  to  talkability  as 


CASTING  AFTER  DARK  215 

love  IS  superior  to  hate.  With  the  ideal  companion, 
possessed  of  skill,  knowledge,  and  a  poet's  appre- 
ciation, night  casting  is  about  as  near  a  piscatorial 
heaven  as  anything  I  know. 

Lacking  the  ideal  companion,  my  advise  to  the 
reader  is,  go  alone.  *'How?"  Listen.  Seek  out 
some  spot,  in  the  day  time,  of  course,  where  the 
boat  can  be  anchored  in  such  a  position  as  to  make 
•casting  in  two  or  three  directions  a  possibility.  You 
may  be  compelled  to  search  some  time  before  you 
find  such  a  place,  but  not  so  long  as  you  will  to  find 
the  ideal  companion,  believe  me.  Quietly  take  your 
position  about  sunset  and  secure  your  boat.  Do  not 
get  in  a  hurry  to  cast.  Wait.  The  lone  fisherman 
has  all  the  time  there  is.  Remember  the  field  of 
your  operations  is  circumscribed  and  do  not  cast  too 
much.    Watch  the  day  die.    Invoke  your  soul.  Wait. 

There  comes  a  splash,  and  a  widening  circle  of 
wavelets  close  up  to  the  edge  of  the  weeds  and 
within  range.  Mortal  man  could  not  be  expected  to 
withstand  that  temptation.  "Shoot,  man,  shoot!" 
Ah,  he's  on!  What  did  you  expect?  Play  him. 
Net  him.  Now  wait  some  more.  There  are  other 
bass  there,  of  course,  but  wait  for  them  to  manifest 
their  hungry  presence.  This  is  "dry-lure"  fishing 
with  a  vengence.  The  moments  slip  unheeded  and 
unregarded  by.  Night  comes  on  apace.  Ah, 
another  splash,  this  time  almost  behind.  To  turn 
about  takes  but  a  second,  and  the  lure  strikes  with  a 


2i6      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

resounding  splash  just  where  it  should.  The  bass 
rises  instantly,  misses,  comes  again  before  you  can 
breathe  twice,  and  lo,  is  on.  Another  battle.  Another 
victory.  A  third  fish  comes  to  net  before  the  light 
fades  from  the  western  heavens  and  Night  reigns 
supreme. 

No  man  may  tell  when  Night  arrives  any  more 
than  he  can  say  when  Day  is  born.  So  gradual,  so 
imperceptible  is  the  change  that  it  takes  us  all  un- 
awares. The  lone  fisherman  suddenly  discovers 
that  he  can  no  longer  see  the  marging  weeds,  that 
Day  has  fled;  it  comes  to  him  with  a  shock,  and  he 
sits  up,  keenly  alive  to  the  situation.  From  some- 
where out  on  the  lake  comes  the  sound  of  a  great 
splash,  for  leviathan  feeds  in  the  night  time.  There 
is  a  quick,  nervous  in-take  of  breath.  "O-o-o-o-o-o, 
e-e-e-e-,  suppose  he  gets  on!'^  "Splash!"  Right  by 
the  boat,  too!  "Splash!"  Probably  where  the  first 
one  'rose.  "Splash!"  This  time  the  thud  of  the 
glowing  lure  striking  the  water.  It  is  a  good  cast, 
but  the  eager  rodster  has  no  time  to  felicitate  him- 
self upon  his  skill,  for  the  fish  is  hooked. 

When  will  the  epic  of  the  fighting  bass  be  written  ? 
Who  will  write  it?  Good  Doctor  Henshall  has 
tried  his  hand,  and  has  given  us  the  story  in  packed 
sentences  that  glow,  but — shall  I  be  tried  for 
heresy? — he  has  failed  to  do  justice  to  the  bronze- 
back  warrior.  Now,  Reader,  roll  all  the  accounts 
of  bass  battles  you  have  ever  read  into  one,  multiply 


I 


CASTING  AFTER  DARK  217 

It  by  your  own  greatest  and  most  notable  experience, 
and  you  will  have  a  faint  idea  what  fighting  a  black 
bass  in  Stygian  night  is  like.  The  line  rips  through 
the  water  with  an  audible  sound,  though  the  angler 
can  not  see  the  broken  surface.  The  bass  leaps, 
returning  with  a  splash  that  sets  all  the  nerves 
agog,  though  the  circles  rushing  away  to  tell  the 
story  to  the  shore  are  invisible.  The  angler  who 
does  not  yield  to  panic  is  unusual,  even  the  most 
blase  of  rodsters  will  develop  a  case  of  nerves  the 
first  night,  flashing  the  electric  light  in  all  directions 
but  the  right  one.  To  happen  to  catch  the  bass  in 
the  pencil  of  light  just  as  he  leaps,  is  comparable  to 
seeing  a  ship,  full  rigged,  sail  across  the  disk  of  the 
round  orbed  moon  just  as  it  rises  from  its  watery 
bed.    But  this  is  an  aside. 

To  feel  the  rushing  fish,  the  line  thrumming  as 
he  dashes  this  way  and  that  in  wild  frenzy,  or  leaps 
into  the  air  with  a  rain  of  water,  and  not  be  able 
to  see  him ;  to  be  compelled  to  guess,  from  daylight 
experiences,  what  he  is  doing,  well  may  be  dubbed 
"angling  that  is  different."  To  fight  the  fish  by  in- 
stinct, reeling  in  and  paying  out  line  when  you  feel 
that  you  must,  as  the  line  becomes  slack  or  taut,  will 
try  your  skill,  your  nerves  and  your  religion.  Night 
casting  is  ^'different,'*  all  right.  The  fish,  tired,  you 
bring  him  at  last  to  the  boat's  side,  but  the  battle  is 
not  over  by  any  means,  remains  the  netting.  In 
time  you  will  learn  to  handle  the  net  and  flash  with 


2i8      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

one  hand,  the  latter  grasped  in  the  right  with  the 
net  handle,  while  you  control  the  fish  with  the  left. 
Perhaps,  probably,  you  will  be  compelled  to  drop 
the  net  and  flash  before  you  conquer;  well  for  you 
if  in  your  excitement  you  do  not  drop  them  where 
you  can  not  find  them  when  you  want  them  again. 
The  bass  netted  and  safely  creeled,  you  will  wipe 
the  beads  of  sweat  from  your  forehead,  surprised 
to  find  your  whole  body  in  a  glow.  Such  is  the  bat- 
tle of  the  midnight  bronze-back. 

As  to  how  late  the  fish  will  feed,  all  depends 
upon  the  local  water,  the  weather  and  number  of 
anglers.  I  have  known  bass  waters  where  the  large- 
mouth  fed  throughout  the  reign  of  Erebus,  but  they 
were  much  sought  by  anglers  during  the  day,  and 
had  therefore  become  night-feeders  almost  exclu- 
sively. Nine  times  out  of  ten  a  rodster  could  take 
a  good  basket  between  the  hours  of  lo  p.  M.  and  3 
A.  M.  The  weather  has  a  great  deal  to  do  with 
fishing,  as  it  has  had  since  the  time  of  Isakk  Walton. 
Night  fishing  is  at  its  best  in  July  and  August,  when 
the  "bloom"  Is  on  the  water  and  the  direct  rays  of 
the  sun  sends  the  fish  deep  down  for  low  tempera- 
ture and  shade.  *'I  do  not  understand  what  these 
fish  live  on,"  remarks  the  uninitiated,  returning 
from  the  lake  as  the  stars  begin  to  peep  out,  "they 
are  never  on  the  feed."  Sly  old  bass.  Ignorant 
fisherman.  The  former  has  changed  his  habits  and 
the  latter  must  do  likewise  if  he  hopes  for  success. 


CASTING  AFTER  DARK  219 

The  coming  of  the  stars  marks  the  beginning  of 
sport  on  many  a  so-called  "fished  out''  water. 

I  am  Inclined  to  think,  In  fact,  I  am  positive  that 
"the  dark  o'  the  moon"  is  the  best  time  of  the  month 
in  which  to  resort  to  night  fishing.  Bass  may  be 
taken  on  a  bright  moonlight  night,  when  the  fishing 
is  comparatively  easy,  for  the  angler  can  see  without 
the  aid  of  an  artificial  light,  though  always  the  flash 
should  be  kept  In  a  convenient  and  get-at-able  place. 
Even  with  the  aid  of  a  full  moon,  the  untangling  of 
a  back-lash  may  be  a  serious  matter.  Upon  the 
other  hand,  a  pitch  black  night  is  more  apt  to  pre- 
sent the  faithful  angler  with  a  record  fish.  I  like 
to  see  the  stars — stars  in  the  sky  and  stars  In  the 
water — ^but  experience  has  taught  me  that  the  dream 
bass,  the  one  fish — those  so  large  that  It  takes  two 
men  to  tell  about  them — feed  on  the  blackest  nights, 
feed  where  the  quiet  night  fisherman  may  reach 
them  with  a  cast  lure,  an  impossibility  In  broad  day. 
If  you  doubt  the  assertion  that  big  fish  feed  after 
night-fall,  simply  push  out  on  your  favorite  lake 
about  10  or  11  o'clock  and  sit  perfectly  still.  If 
you  do  not  think  that  some  Titan  is  throwing  logs 
Into  the  water,  I  will  miss  my  guess.  That  "there 
are  bigger  fish  In  the  lake  than  have  ever  been 
caught"  Is  something  more  than  a  time-worn 
aphorism. 

I  have  been  writing  on  lake  fishing,  for  night 
casting  is  peculiarly  a  lake  sport,  though  I  presume 


220      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

on  a  broad,  sluggish  river  it  might  be  resorted  to 
with  success.  Unfortunately  I  have  never  had  the 
high  privilege  of  trying  out  my  night  theories  on 
such  water.  I  have  night  fished  with  live  bait  more 
or  less,  but  can  not  now  remember  of  any  great  suc- 
cesses on  small  streams,  I  mean  with  bass.  On  a 
river  possessed  of  a  comparatively  slow  current  I 
would  imagine  that  two  anglers  could  have  unlimi- 
ted sport,  though  I  am  inclined  to  the  opinion  that 
ordinary  river  fish  are  not  so  much  given  to  the 
night  feeding  habit,  at  least  in  the  Middle  West 
where  the  most  of  my  bass  casting  has  been  done. 
Whether  or  not  bass  resort  to  night  feeding  from 
choice  is  an  open  question,  in  my  opinion  the  habit 
IS  born  of  necessity.  Many  a  so-called  bass-less 
lake  or  fished  out  water,  may  be  rife  with  ichthyic 
life  between  the  hours  of  9  and  3  A.  M 

Of  course  the  fish  do  not  feed  "any  old  place" 
after  nightfall  any  more  than  they  do  at  any  other 
time  during  the  24  hours.  The  feeding  grounds 
must  be  discovered.  Prospecting  for  bass  is  almost 
as  fascinating  as  prospecting  for  gold,  and  a  whole 
lot  more  satisfactory.  (I  never  discovered  any  gold, 
the  kind  that  men  barter  soul  and  honor  to  secure, 
but  in  ichthyic  gold  I  have  long  been  a  multi-million- 
aire.) Bass  feed  where  food  Is  found.  It  does  not 
sound  very  wise  or  learned,  but  it  is  the  key  to  suc- 
cessful casting  night  or  day.  Locate  the  schools  of 
minnows,  where  Insect  life  is  born,  where  cray-fish 


CASTING  AFTER  DARK  221 

are  obtainable,  and  there  cast.  The  marge  of  weed- 
beds,  especially  where  they  are  found  fringing  deep 
water,  is  nine  times  out  of  ten  a  good  location.  Sand 
and  gravel  shallows,  especially  where  creeks  disem- 
bogue or  near  outlets  are  good  spots  for  the  night 
caster,  for  they  are  the  feeding  places  of  cray-fish, 
the  piece  de  resistance  of  a  bronze-back  banquet. 
Sometimes  the  angler  will  find  the  hungry  fish  mak- 
ing their  way  well  up  on  the  shallows,  three  or  four 
of  them,  vying  with  one  another  to  be  first  at  the 
feast.  To  locate  such  a  spot  Is  to  be  lifted  Into  a 
piscatorial  heaven. 

After  all  it  is  the  romance  of  the  thing,  the  lure  of 
the  unusual,  the  enticement  of  the  night,  the  blan- 
dishment of  the  silence,  which  places  night  casting  in 
a  class  by  itself.  Be  it  said,  however,  that  not  every 
angler  can  endure  it,  any  more  than  every  man  can 
camp  by  himself  in  the  silent  places.  Perhaps  some 
are  to  the  manner  born,  but  most  of  us  must  culti- 
vate a  liking  for  the  unusual.  Believe  me  when  I 
say  that  of  all  varieties  of  angling  tried  out  by  me — 
for  romance,  unusual  situations  and  sheer  piquancy, 
I  give  first  place  to  night  casting  for  bass.  Love  for 
it  grows  on  one  as  he  becomes  accustomed  to  the  all 
pervading  Quiet — that  word  must  have  a  capital  let- 
ter, Caliban  was  right — and  the  stilly  night  sounds. 
In  the  night,  frog  songs  and  the  low  trill  of  the 
seldom  night  bird,  are  not  noises  or  noisy.  Even 
the  harsh  laughter  of  the  loon,  once  you  are  in  har- 


222      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

mony  with  the  surroundings,  will  be  found  to  have 
lost  some  of  Its  ghoulishness,  will  provoke  only  a 
smile. 

Perhaps  I  have  omitted  some  things  which  should 
have  been  said,  but  I  have  at  least  made  a  sincere 
attempt  to  give  the  Reader  some  idea  of  the  attrac- 
tivlty  of  the  sport,  as  well  as  talk  tackle  and  meth- 
ods, for  my  object  in  writing  this  chapter  is  to  get 
you  to  investigate  the  possibilities  of  night  fishing 
for  yourself.  It  is  not  a  matter  of  tackle  so  much 
as  it  Is  of  knowledge  and  Individuality.  Still  I  must 
re-assert  what  I  said  In  the  beginning,  only  the  best 
of  tackle  will  stand  up  under  the  strain  of  the  work, 
for  when  one  can  not  see  what  he  is  doing  he  will 
be  compelled  to  depend  more  largely  upon  rod  and 
line.  I  need  not  say  that  the  rodster  will  not  go  out 
of  his  way  just  to  put  his  tackle  to  the  test,  no  angler 
would  do  that.  As  the  fisherman  becomes  initiated 
into  the  mysteries  of  the  art  he  will  discover  many 
little  secrets  for  himself,  indeed  he  may  even  write 
an  article  for  the  outdoor  press  laudatory  of  the 
sport;  if  totally  obsessed,  perhaps  he  will  follow 
my  example  and  write  a  book. 

Remains  'but  a  few  remarks  regarding  the 
"sportsmanship"  of  the  practice.  I  will  not  attempt 
to  decide.  Just  why  night  fishing  should  be  un- 
sportsmanlike it  is  hard  for  me  to  determine, 
though  I  understand  that  it  is  so  dubbed  In  some 
quarters;  indeed,  I  am  told  that  It  has  been  outlawed 


CASTING  AFTER  DARK  223 

in  some  states,  regarding  which  I  have  my  doubts. 
Always  this  question  simmers  down  to  a  matter  of 
individuality.  A  sportsman  will  be  a  sportsman 
anywhere  and  always:  the  other  kind  will  forever 
be  the  other  kind.  Laws  are  only  an  aid,  they  can 
not  make  sportsmen.  Just  how  a  man  of  porcine 
proclivities  can  gratify  his  lusts  when  following  in 
the  footsteps  of  gentle,  genial  Walton,  is  more  than 
I  can  understand.  I  can  and  do  fish  the  night  away, 
violating  no  ethics  of  sport,  returning  as  the  east 
begins  to  glow,  a  bigger — ^bigger  on  the  inside — 
and  better  man.  If  in  this  chapter  I  have  said  one 
word,  Reader,  to  lead  you  to  get  out  where  the  cre- 
ative Quiet  can  get  a  chance  at  you,  where  you  will 
forget  your  sordidness  and  littleness,  I  am  willing 
to  run  the  chances  of  your  violating  the  ethics  of 
highest  sportsmanship.     Selah. 


CHAPTER  VII 

LAKE  CASTING  FROM  A  BOAT 

"Lake  fishing,"  'tis  a  word  to  conjure  with. 
Two-thirds  of  bass  fishermen  are  lake  fishers,  ytt 
the  black  bass  is  not  essentially  a  lake  fish.  Per- 
haps the  large-mouth  is  more  inclined  to  a  still  water 
habitat  than  Is  the  small-mouth,  though  both  are 
found  in  swift  running  streams,  and  both  are  found 
In  lakes.  I  suppose  lake  fishing  is  the  favorite 
method  of  angling  simply  because,  in  a  boat,  with 
plenty  of  open  water,  the  opportunities  for  casting 
are  greater.  So  many  anglers,  so  many  minds, 
hence  this  chapter.  It  would  seem  unnecessary  to 
write  upon  so  popular  a  sport  as  lake  casting,  yet 
a  few  remarks  upon  the  subject  from  one  more  or 
less  unprejudiced  regarding  methods  and  tackle 
may  not  be  out  of  place.  I  think  I  am  open  to  con- 
viction. At  least  I  am  always  ready  to  try  new 
tackle  and  new  methods,  so  long  as  what  I  conceive 
to  be  the  ethics  of  true  sport  are  not  violated.  But, 
be  it  understood  at  the  beginning,  I  do  not  propose 
in  this  chapter  to  advocate  new  or  unusual  methods, 
say  anything  original;  simply,  if  I  may,  utter  a  few 

224 


LAKE  CASTING  FROM  A  BOAT  225 

words  of  advice  more  or  less  helpful  to  the  tyro. 
With  this  word  of  explanation  I  make  my  bow. 

I  have  already  said  that  boat  casting  is  the  fav- 
orite method  of  fishing  with  the  user  of  the  short 
rod,  and  have  given  one  reason  why  It  Is  so,  in  a 
word,  casting  room.  No  brush  behind,  no  limbs 
overhead,  nothing  to  catch  the  lure.  However, 
casting  from  an  open  boat,  especially  with  a  com- 
panion, is  not  so  easy  as  It  seems.  Not  every  user 
of  the  short  rod  is  an  adept  in  a  boat,  particularly 
if  he  must  remain  seated.  This  being  true,  there 
must  be  other  reasons  why  this  method  of  casting  is 
so  universally  popular.  I  think  it  is  found  in  the 
boat  itself  and  in  the  wide-reaching  expanse  of 
water.  The  average  man  loves  a  boat,  is  born  with 
a  love  for  the  water.  Wading  does  not  wholly  sat- 
isfy, he  must  feel  the  uneasy  motion,  experience  the 
thrill  that  comes  when  he  shoves  his  little  bark  out 
upon  the  bosom  of  the  lake.  And  this  lure  of  the 
wide-reaches  is  very  real  and  insistent.  I  well  re- 
member taking  a  certain  urban  trout  fisher  bass  cast- 
ing on  one  of  my  favorite  wilderness  lakes.  We 
left  camp  early  in  the  morning,  rowing  directly 
across  the  lake  to  a  Hly  bed.  On  the  journey  over 
my  companion  was  strangely  silent,  gazing  over 
the  water  with  a  far-away  look  In  his  eyes.  At  last, 
as  we  neared  our  destination,  he  heaved  a  sigh  and 
remarked,  "This  Is  the  first  time  I  was  ever  out- 
doors.*'    Every  lake  caster  can  appreciate  that.     It 


226      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

is  woefully  hard  for  me  to  write  of  such  fishing  in 
a  dry,  matter-of-fact  way.  At  any  rate  I  Insist  that 
the  lure  of  lake  casting  Is  found  In  something  be- 
side paraphernalia. 

No  single  Item  of  the  caster's  outfit  Is  of  greater 
importance  than  the  boat,  upon  it,  largely,  depends 
the  success  or  failure  of  his  adventure.  The  Ideal 
casting  boat  Is  stable  but  not  heavy,  and  easy  of 
propulsion;  to  that  end  It  should  have  a  pointed 
bow  at  least.  I  strongly  Incline  to  the  skiff  type, 
though  one  of  the  finest  boats  for  two  from  which  I 
ever  cast  was  an  eighteen-foot  canoe  supplied  with 
sponsons.  The  regular  canoe  Is  all  right  for  those 
of  adequate  skill — there  Is  a  thrill  and  joy  about 
canoeing  found  In  no  other  variety  of  boating — 
though  for  the  reason  that  considerable  skill  Is  re- 
quired on  the  part  of  the  rodster  and  boatman,  the 
craft  Is  not  recommended  here  for  general  use.  Do 
not  suppose  that  because  a  stable  boat  Is  advised  I 
mean  that  the  rodster  should  use  an  unwieldly  craft. 
There  are  many  boats  upon  the  market,  broad  of 
keel  and  sufficiently  light  for  the  purpose.  I  am 
not  in  favor  of  the  heavy  square  enders  one  some- 
times sees  at  a  resort,  recommended  for  casting  be- 
cause of  the  square  stern.  They  are  hard  to  man- 
age In  anything  of  a  sea,  and  worse,  they  are  noisy. 
The  ideal  boat  should  slip  through  the  water  with- 
out a  sound.  I  like  bow-facing  oars,  for  then  I  can 
cast  from  the  forward  end  of  the  boat,  or  manage 


LAKE  CASTING  FROM  A  BOAT  227 

the  boat  myself  though  that  Is  somewhat  difficult 
even  with  the  bow-facing  oars.  With  the  average 
lake  boat  oars  are  better  than  a  paddle,  for  few 
boatmen  can  paddle  a  skiff  without  creating  consid- 
erable disturbance.    I  want  quiet. 

Next  to  the  boat  in  importance  is  the  boatman. 
I  am  not  a  lover  of  that  member  of  the  genus  homo, 
the  professional  guide.  He  is  too  often  loquacious 
or  surly,  depending  upon  the  size  of  the  tip,  and  he 
is  apt  to  think  that  the  "sport"  Is  something  of  a 
fool  as  well  as  a  gold  mine.  Just  as  you  are  about 
to  cast  your  lure  into  some  likely  looking  pocket  In 
the  lily  pads,  he  whirls  the  boat  about,  saying  In  the 
voice  of  a  commander-in-chief,  ''Cast  over  there: 
seven  years,  six  months,  three  days  and  thirty-three 
minutes  ago,  Mr.  John  Smith  of  Saint  Louis,  caught 
a  three-pounder  when  fishing  with  me  by  doing  so." 
It  makes  no  difference  what  your  knowledge  of  the 
game,  you  may  be  an  expert  caster  and  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  the  habits  of  the  fish  sought,  he 
knows  the  water  and  has  his  way,  for  all  else  being 
equal  he  should  be  right.  When  resort  keepers 
supply  mutes  for  boatmen  my  faith  will  be  restored. 

Knowing  the  water,  two  casters  should  fish  to- 
gether, turn  and  turn  about.  There  you  have  com- 
panionship and  gentle  rivalry,  the  sauce  piquant  of 
any  variety  of  angling.  The  position  of  the  boat- 
man, or  caster  as  you  please,  is  a  matter  of  impor- 
tance.   The  caster  should  cover  the  water  first,  with 


228     CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

sufficient  room  to  throw  his  lures  without  danger 
of  hitting  his  companion.  The  boatman  should  face 
in  the  same  direction  as  the  caster,  with  the  old- 
fashioned  oars,  pushing  the  boat  along.  Sometimes 
It  is  advantageous  to  run  the  craft  stern  first,  the 
caster  in  the  stern  facing  his  field  of  operation. 
While,  as  I  have  already  intimated,  knowledge  of 
the  water  is  an  advantage,  yet  experienced  bass  fans 
will  know  instinctively  where  the  quarry  lies  and 
fishing  a  new  water  will  have  an  added  attractive- 
ness, that  of  trying  out  theories  as  well  as  explor- 
ation. 

Nothing  need  be  said  here  regarding  outfit,  all 
that  has  been  covered  in  other  chapters.  If  inter- 
ested in  that  phase  of  the  question  I  recommend  that 
you  re-read  the  chapter  on  playing  the  fish  and 
landing  tools,  which  has  special  significance  for  the 
boat-caster.  Suffer  an  admonition — see  that  the 
landing  net  is  strong  in  the  throat  and  otherwise 
dependable. 

Much  is  written  regarding  the  posture  of  the  cas- 
ter, whether  or  not  he  should  stand  up  in  a  boat. 
From  a  red-cross  view-point,  no;  from  that  of  the 
practical  angler,  yes.  The  fact  of  the  matter  is,  all 
depends  upon  the  sort  of  craft  in  use  and  the  rod- 
ster's  boatmanship.  It  is  extremely  difficult  to  make 
long  and  accurate  casts  sitting  down  and  the  posture 
Is  wearisome  in  the  extreme.  Given  a  craft  of 
broad  keel  and  a  trustworthy  man  at  the  oars,  I  can 


LAKE  CASTING  FROM  A  BOAT  229 

not  see  why  a  good  swimmer  should  not  stand  up 
now  and  then.  I  do.  When  alone  in  my  canoe  1 
often  cast  standing,  and  have  never  tipped  over  or 
fallen  out.  But  the  man  born  to  some  other  fate 
will  never  be  drowned,  you  know.  In  this  connec- 
tion it  might  be  well  to  remark  that  with  two  in  a 
boat,  the  caster  should  never  resort  to  the  side-cast, 
no  matter  how  cramped  his  muscles  and  great  the 
temptation.  The  "side-swipe,"  as  it  is  sometimes 
called,  is  murderous  in  a  boat.  Always  remember 
the  lure.  Never  forget  the  boatman.  A  modern 
multi-hooked  lure  is  a  dangerous  thing  in  the  hands 
of  a  careless  man  or  woman.  Do  not  enter  a  boat 
with  a  beginner  if  you  value  your  eye-sight,  and  do 
not  enter  a  boat  yourself  until  you  have  mastered 
the  art  of  casting. 

I  have  already  talked  of  boat  management,  but 
there  remain  a  few  things  which  should  be  said 
upon  the  subject.  The  caster  must  not  only  be 
placed  within  casting  distance  of  his  game,  bur  so 
placed  that  he  can  cast  most  successfully.  Most  men 
cast  from  right  to  left,  finding  from  left  to  right 
difficult  unless  the  cast  be  made  over-hand,  which 
can  not  be  done  with  any  degree  of  accuracy;  there- 
fore, it  follows  that  the  weed-bed  or  shore  must  be 
approached  "left-handed."  The  reader  under- 
stands what  I  am  trying  to  get  at,  no  doubt.  It 
seems  a  little  matter,  but  I  will  row  two  miles  any 
day  in  order  to  approach  the  fish's  lurking  place 


230      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

from  the  best  casting  direction.  I  wish  to  be  in  the 
bow  facing  the  work,  or  if  in  the  stern,  then  with 
that  end  ahead.  The  angler  should  cast  in  front, 
well  ahead  of  the  boat,  covering  all  the  water. 
Stand  off  within  easy  casting  distance.  Accuracy 
and  control  are  of  greater  value  than  distance. 

The  angler  must  know  where  to  look  for  his  fish, 
and  while  habits  of  the  water-dwellers  differ  even 
in  adjacent  fishing  grounds,  there  is  sufficient  simi- 
larity always  to  warrant  a  man's  casting  in  a  certain 
spot,  given  a  certain  environment.  To  illustrate : 
if  you  see  the  whitened  "bones"  of  a  dead  tree  lying 
upon  the  bottom  close  up  in  shore,  and  you  are  bass- 
wise,  you  will  never  pass  it  by  without  covering 
every  foot  of  its  length.  Cast  first  at  the  outer  end 
and  work  in-shore.  It  is  unwise  to  cast  over  a  fish, 
though  there  are  times  when  it  seems  impossible  for 
an  angler  to  frighten  them,  no  matter  what  he  does. 
A  weed-bed,  especially  a  patch  of  water  lilies,  al- 
ways spells  bass  to  me.  Usually  a  cast  made  close 
up  against  them  is  sufficient,  and  there  are  times 
when  to  cast  a  weedless  lure  out  into  the  little  open 
pockets  of  water,  well  back  in  the  bed,  will  bring 
results.  Such  casting,  however,  is  difficult,  for  the 
weeds  offer  much  protection  to  the  fish.  Neverthe- 
less, a  careful  and  patient  angler  can  accomplish  it. 
At  times  fish  will  be  found  upon  the  shallows,  early 
in  the  morning  and  again  .^lte  in  the  evening,  then 
to  cast  with  a  surface  lure  is  great  sport.    Where  a 


LAKE  CASTING  FROM  A  BOAT  231 

creek  enters,  or  at  the  mouth  of  the  outlet,  are  al- 
ways good  places.  Remember,  almost  any  obstruc- 
tion will  probably  offer  shelter  to  a  fish,  sure  to  if 
you  fail  to  investigate.  Of  course,  a  half-wise  rod- 
ster  will  not  cast  in  the  middle  of  the  lake,  that  is  the 
place  for  a  deep  underwater  troll,  either  a  spoon  or 
artificial  minnow. 

By  and  large,  the  most  successful  lure  for  lake 
casting  is  the  one  that  makes  the  most  commotion, 
though  like  all  rules,  this  is  noted  for  its  exceptions. 
The  bass  like  surface  lures,  especially  during  the 
early  hours,  colors  depending  upon  the  particular 
water  and  the  feeding  habits  of  the  fish.  I  have  so 
often  proclaimed  my  faith  in  red  and  white  that  it 
seems  needless  for  me  to  take  up  the  matter  of  color 
here,  no  one  knowing  me  will  believe  that  I  think 
anything  but  the  ''red-headed  wood-pecker"  worth 
while  anyway,  though  green  in  some  waters  is  par- 
ticularly good,  as  are  the  rainbow  colored.  The 
wiggling,  sidewise  motion  gets  them.  However  I 
must  not  fail  to  mention  the  underwaters.  When 
bass  lie  deep,  in  other  words,  when  they  are  not 
feeding  on  the  surface,  we  must  go  down  after  them. 
Cast  toward  the  weed-holes,  let  the  lure  sink  and 
slowly  reel  in.  We  can  class  the  artificial  frog  as  a 
good  lake  lure,  therefore  it  should  be  mentioned  In 
this  connection.  But  as  to  lures,  well,  re-read  the 
lengthy  chapter  upon  that  subject. 

I  have  already  mentioned  the  desirability  of  fish- 


232      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

ing  at  the  ends  of  the  day,  the  morning  hours  as  a 
rule  being  the  most  successful.  Correspondents 
often  write  asking:  "How  early  should  I  get  out  on 
the  water?"  My  answer  is  a  stock  one:  "Before 
the  crow  crows."  Get  out,  in  hot  weather,  when 
the  sky  first  begins  to  tingle  low  down  in  the  east.  It 
is  worth  something  to  see  the  miracle  of  the  rising 
sun  from  the  vantage-ground  of  a  wide-reaching 
lake,  even  if  you  take  no  fish,  but  the  true  angler 
will  take  fish,  understanding  his  business.  The 
world  is  so  quiet  at;  that  hour,  even  in  the  wilder- 
ness, that  the  fisherman  finds  himself  in  a  strange 
realm,  and  if  a  man  after  Isaak  Walton's  heart, 
forgets  rod  and  reel  for  a  time.  Just  to  sit,  forget- 
ful of  previous  existence  and  unregardful  of  the 
future,  is  one  of  the  inalienable  rights  of  an  angler. 
Next  in  value  to  the  morning  are  the  evening 
hours,  say  7  o'clock  to  dark;  sometimes  darkness 
Itself  offers  inducements,  as  was  pointed  out  in  the 
chapter  on  night  fishing.  Any  wind  is  a  good  wind 
when  fish  bite.  A  high  wind  acts  as  a  deterrent, 
stirring  up  the  water  and  driving  the  fish  deep  down. 
A  spell  of  cold  weather  also  somehow  seems  to 
effect  the  fish,  for  they  rise  less  freely  if  at  all.  A 
close,  mizzhng  August  day  is  the  day  of  all  days; 
strike  that  and  you  will  have  a  record  catch.  Just 
before  a  thunder  storm  all  fish  are  voracious,  bass 
being  no  exception  to  the  rule.  A  friend  of  mine, 
an  aged  angler,  says,  "Bass  can't  help  but  bite  be- 


LAKE  CASTING  FROM  A  BOAT  233 

fore  a  storm,  even  if  they  alnt  hungry."  There 
seems  to  be  some  truth  in  the  assertion  too.  But 
fish  and  the  weather  are  ^xhaustless  subjects,  we 
might  as  well  drop  it  here  as  an}n7^here. 

Though  it  is  time  to  conclude  this  chapter,  I  have 
not  said  the  last  word  about  casting  from  a  boat, 
that  word  will  never  be  said.  I  have  only  touched 
upon  the  subject,  hoping  that  my  suggestions  may 
prove  more  or  less  helpful  to  the  novice,  as  well  as 
somewhat  entertaining  to  the  old  hand.  The  heart- 
attractivity  of  lake  fishing  was  touched  upon  in  the 
previous  paragraph,  and  inadvertently  here  and 
there  throughout  the  whole  chapter.  It  is  the  feel- 
ing of  vastness,  the  "lift"  that  thrills  and  fills  one, 
which  sends  us  out  upon  the  broad  bosom  of  the 
lake.  "Tackle."  I  love  tackle.  "Bass?"  I  enjoy 
a  bass  well  fried  and  served,  yes.  But  after  all, 
and  you.  Reader,  know  how  true  it  is,  it  is  the  get- 
ting away,  the  kiss  of  the  wind,  the  caress  of  the 
sun,  the  blandishment  of  God's  own  Out-o'Doors 
that  makes  all  worth  while. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

SPOONS- AND  HOW  TO  CAST  THEM 

That  It  IS  difficult  to  cast  an  ordinary  trolling 
spoon  with  any  degree  of  accuracy,  or  to  any  great 
distance,  all  rodsters  who  have  attempted  the  feat 
will  unanimously  agree.  The  shape  of  the  lure,  a 
broad  blade  offering  maximum  resistence  to  the  air 
with  minimum  weight,  precludes  even  average  casts 
and  makes  control  almost  an  impossibility.  A  slight 
breeze  will  upset  the  calculations  of  even  the  most 
expert  rodster.  We  can  overcome  the  matter  of 
lightness  by  adding  weight,  a  subject  to  be  taken  up 
in  a  later  paragraph,  but  the  gyrating  spoon  must 
always  present  problems  hard  to  solve.  Be  it  said, 
however,  it  is  not  always  necessary  or  even  advisa- 
ble to  lay  a  long  line.  As  I  have  said  over  and  over 
again  throughout  this  work,  the  wise  rodster  will 
never  sacrifice  accuracy  to  distance.  In  casting  the 
spoon,  let  stealth  take  the  place  of  distance,  sneak 
up  to  the  pools — easily  accomplished  with  a  boat, 
somewhat  more  difficult  when  following  the  bank 
or  wading — and  drop  the  spoon  in  the  proper  spot. 
The  difficulties   attendant  upon  casting  the   spoon 

234 


SPOONS  AND  HOW  TO  CAST  THEM    235 

only  makes  the  sport  more  attractive  to  the  dis- 
criminating angler. 

Consistently  I  have  urged  the  short  rod — 5  foot, 
or  5  foot,  6  inches — now  I  am  going  to  say  that  I 
have  discovered  a  place  for  the  6  foot,  6  inch  caster, 
where  the  latter  will  discount  the  former  two  to  one. 
I  hasten  to  add,  however,  that  the  short  rod  can  be 
employed,  I  often  use  it  to  obviate  carrying  a  second 
one.  This  is  the  point,  the  ideal  rod  should  be 
light,  willowy,  though  possessed  of  "back-bone," 
and  at  least  a  foot  longer  than  the  regular  rod  for 
"plugs."  I  have  found  a  tournament  rod  almost 
perfect.  The  only  reason  I  do  not  like  to  go  on 
record  as  recommending  the  long  rod,  cut  slim,  is 
because  it  is  not  built  to  withstand  rough  usage  and 
a  careless  angler  may  break  it;  for  that  man  there 
IS  but  one  tool,  the  regulation  five  foot  rod,  built 
for  service.  Recently  there  came  upon  the  market  a 
new  casting  rod,  with  two  tips  of  different  lengths 
and  weight,  one  of  which  should  handle  a  spoon 
fairly  well  for  a  short  rod. 

For  casting  the  ordinary,  un-weighted  spoon,  I 
am  going  to  recommend  to  discriminating  anglers 
the  free-spool  reel,  unhampered  with  spooling  or 
thumbing  devise.  So  light  is  the  lure  that  it  has 
little  "pulling  power" — coining  a  word  to  fill  a 
need — and  it  should  not  be  asked  to  overcome  one 
unnecessary  grain  of  inertia.  Therefore  it  follows 
that  the  better  the  reel,  more  accurately  ground  and 


2^^^      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

fitted,  the  better  suited  it  is  to  the  needs  of  the  man 
who  would  cast  spoons.  While  I  am  recommending 
these  delicate  free-spools  for  this  work,  let  not  the 
fact  that  you  do  not  possess  one  deter  you  from 
attempting  the  use  of  spoons ;  simply,  the  better  the 
reel,  the  longer  the  cast,  always  providing  you  pos- 
sess the  requisite  skill  to  handle  the  winch  properly. 
So,  too,  the  line  should  be  light,  as  light  as  is  con- 
sistent with  safety.  There  is  some  sport  in  employ- 
ing a  line  the  fish  can  break  unless  handled  with  ut- 
most skill,  though  of  course  it  is  never  the  part  of 
wisdom  to  use  a  line  so  light  that  it  will  part  at  the 
first  shadow  of  adversity.  In  this  connection,  allow 
me  to  say  that  I  have  played  and  netted  a  two- 
pound  bass,  using  an  ordinary  No.  30  linen  thread. 
While  one  could  employ  a  tournament  line  with  a 
deal  of  satisfaction,  it  is  not  wise  to  use  a  lighter 
than  ten  pound  test,  which,  in  soft  braided,  is  light 
enough  and  fine  enough  to  satisfy  the  most  particu- 
lar. 

The  reader  will  by  this  time  realize  that  I  regard 
casting  a  spoon  as  a  sort  of  false  fly-fishing,  and  to 
be  indulged  in  as  a  fad.  While  this  is  true  to  a 
great  extent,  I  must  add  that  one  can  catch  bass 
with  spoons  employed  as  one  employs  lures,  indeed, 
it  is,  under  certain  conditions  a  very  successful 
method  of  angling  for  bronze-backs.  I  think  I  have 
shown  why  light  and  delicate  tools  should  be  em- 
ployed for  this  sport,  always  providing  the  rodster 


SPOONS  AND  HOW  TO  CAST  THEM    237 

is  possessed  of  requisite  skill,  if  not,  let  him  employ 
the  regulation  outfit  recommended  for  bait  casting. 
It  may  be  set  down  as  an  angling  axiom,  the  lighter 
and  more  delicate  the  tools,  the  more  chances  the 
fisherman  takes,  the  greater  the  sport.  The  fresh 
water  angler  can  experience  all  the  thrills  of  tarpon 
fishing  while  angling  for  black  bass  if  he  employs 
tackle  commensurate  with  the  weight  of  the  fish.  I 
wonder  how  many  bass  fans  have  ever  reflected 
upon  the  following  fact:  the  salt  water  fisherman 
goes  after  black  sea  bass,  weighing  from  100  to  500 
pounds,  with  a  rod  weighing  about  26  ounces;  while 
the  bass  angler  may  use  a  rod  weighing  6  ounces  to 
capture  a  fish  weighing  2  pounds. 

I  can  well  remember  when  the  only  spoon  upon 
the  market  was  the  one  we  called  the  "kidney," 
probably  because  the  blade  had  a  fancied  resem- 
blance to  that  important  organ  of  the  human  body. 
What  angler  of  yesterday  or  the  day  before  does 
not  remember  the  "kidney  spoon,"  and  it  was  and 
is  a  good  troll.  To-day,  however,  there  are  spoons 
upon  the  market  in  all  shapes,  sizes  and  colors.  If 
an  angler  fails  to  see  what  he  wants  he  has  only  to 
ask  for  it.  In  shape,  the  spoons  run  from  oval  to  wil- 
low-leaf and  all  intermediate  forms;  while  the 
"wigglers"  may  be  had  in  hearts,  diamonds  and 
what  not.  In  matters  of  shape  I  am  exceedingly 
conservative,  doubting  very  much  the  efficiency  of 
the   odd   forms,   though  perhaps  my  conservatism 


238      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

blinds  my  eyes  to  their  real  merit.  I  have  already 
confessed  my  faith  in  and  love  for,  the  old  reliable 
fluted.  I  own  a  pair  of  Skinner's  fluted  spoons 
which  I  have  used  for  a  number  of  years,  one  of 
which  is  sans  paint,  almost  sans  feathers,  and  yet  it 
still  takes  fish.  There  is  something  about  the  cor- 
rugations of  the  spoon  which  adds  a  glittering  bril- 
liancy to  Its  appearance  as  well  as  steadiness  to  its 
revolutions,  making  it  peculiarly  attractive  to  bass. 

The  angler  should  examine  the  spoon  he  contem- 
plates purchasing  with  care,  see  that  it  is  well  made, 
properly  fitted,  and  altogether  worth  while.  I  am 
not  inclined  to  regard  the  glass  bead  one  sometimes 
sees  below  the  loop  of  the  spoon  with  favor,  if  the 
smoothness  of  play  depends  upon  the  bit  of  glass, 
what  will  happen  when  the  glass  breaks,  for  break 
It  will  under  ordinary  service.  I  think  a  metal  disk 
or  washer  altogether  more  satisfactory.  The  wire 
should  be  stiff,  possessed  of  sufficient  spring  to  in- 
sure that  there  will  be  no  unhooking  under  provoca- 
tion. Always  the  spoon  should  be  supplied  with  a 
wire  leader  or  gimp  and  one  or  two  swivels. 

As  to  colors  and  ornamentations,  I  do  not  think 
them  of  supreme  importance.  Undoubtedly  there 
is  an  added  advantage  in  having  the  under  surface 
of  the  blade  a  bright  red,  but  that  will  have  to  be 
replaced  from  time  to  time,  for  it  wears  away  with 
continuous  service.  I  am  not  sure  that  the  feathers 
ordinarily  attached  to  the  hooks  for  the  purpose  of 


SPOONS  AND  HOW  TO  CAST  THEM    239 

concealing  them  have  much  value,  though  perhaps 
when  long  and  trailing  they  do  attract  fish.  Again 
and  again,  In  different  waters,  I  have  removed  them 
and  taken  just  as  many  fish  as  my  companions;  re- 
placed them  and  taken  no  more.  I  know  that  In 
certain  waters  a  gold  spoon  is  more  attractive  than 
a  silver  one,  w^hile  sometimes  copper  or  jet  black 
will  prove  more  alluring  than  either.  Much  de- 
pends upon  the  particular  water  and  only  experi- 
mentation can  determine  which  spoon  to  use.  To- 
day spoons  are  provided  with  variously  colored 
blades,  so  that  the  angler  can  change  at  will,  though 
I  must  confess  that  for  an  all-round,  every  day 
spoon  there  is  nothing  better  than  silver  back  and 
red  front.  Keep  the  inside  of  the  blade  dabbed  with 
vermilion  paint.  The  pearl  blades  are  very  beauti- 
ful, presenting  a  showy  appearance  when  seen 
through  the  water,  however,  I  have  not  found  them 
as  successful  under  varying  conditions  as  the  old- 
fashioned  nickle  spoons.  As  to  the  durability  of 
the  pearl  blades  I  can  only  say  that  I  have  never 
broken  one  and  I  have  used  them  a  great  deal  in 
pike  fishing,  surely  a  sufficient  test  for  any  lure. 

There  is  a  class  of  lures,  a  sort  of  hybrid  troll, 
with  a  hook  attached  directly  to  the  blade  at  the 
lower  end  while  the  leader  Is  attached  to  the  upper, 
known  as  "wobblers."  Drawn  through  the  water, 
the  lure  darts  about  with  an  erratic,  ricochetting 
movement  which  must  be  discernible  for  a  great  dis- 


240      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

tance,  even  through  the  fish's  element.  As  was  in- 
timated In  a  foregoing  paragraph,  these  "wobblers" 
may  be  secured  in  a  great  variety  of  shapes  and 
colors,  being  made  even  of  pearl,  a  rather  frail  ma- 
terial it  would  seem  for  a  lure  of  the  type.  I  think 
I  would  always  re-Inforce  such  a  blade  with  a  bit  of 
wire  running  from  the  upper  loop  to  the  lower, 
which  would  undoubtedly  interfere  somewhat  with 
the  action  but  would  be  a  great  advantage  should 
the  blade  break.  In  casting,  the  "wobbler"  does 
not  offer  a  fluttering  blade  to  the  wind  and  there- 
fore lends  Itself  more  readily  to  the  caster's  needs. 
It  is  a  good  lure,  good  for  bass,  but  not  exactly  a 
spoon. 

In  casting  in  a  wind,  or  where  distance  must  be 
acquired,  it  Is  absolutely  essential  that  weight,  con- 
siderable weight,  be  added  to  the  spoon.  Right 
here,  let  me  say  that  the  rodster  must  add  weight 
with  discrimination,  or  the  troll  is  going  to  sink  so 
deep  in  the  water  that  it  will  engage  every  snag, 
unless  drawn  at  a  Ashless  pace.  In  the  chapter 
upon  trolling  for  bass  I  have  mentioned  the  fact 
that  more  fish  are  taken  upon  a  slow-moving  spoon 
than  upon  one  drawn  through  the  water  with  no 
regard  for  speed,  a  matter  which  should  be  held  in 
mind  by  the  spoon  fisherman.  We  fish  for  fish, 
after  all.  Buy  a  box  of  split  shot  and  add  weight, 
shot  by  shot,  pinching  fast  to  the  gimp  or  leader 
close  above  the  head  of  the  spoon,  if  the  swivel  Is 


PrSg 


SPOONS  AND  HOW  TO  CAST  THEM    241 

attached  directly  to  the  spoon  and  the  leader  to 
that,  then  just  above  the  swivel.  The  ordinary 
casting  lure  weighs  in  the  neighborhood  of  one 
ounce,  once  in  a  while  slightly  over,  never  two 
ounces  unless  In  muskellunge  lures.  The  average 
spoon,  bass  size — Nos.  4  or  5 — weigh  a  fraction 
less  than  a  quarter  of  an  ounce.  Now  the  caster 
can  see  just  where  he  Is  at,  he  must  raise  that  weight 
to  at  least  half  an  ounce  in  order  to  handle  the 
spoon  with  any  degree  of  ease;  three-quarters  of  an 
ounce  would  be  better  if  the  character  of  the  water 
would  allow,  I.  e.,  possessed  of  sufficient  depth.  It 
is  a  good  idea  to  fix  up  the  spoons  In  the  house, 
placing  them  upon  accurate  scales  every  time  a  shot 
is  added,  know  just  how  much  weight  each  shot  adds 
to  the  lure.    Leave  nothing  to  guess  work. 

There  are  upon  the  market  any  number  of  de- 
tachable sinkers  more  or  less  adapted  to  the  spoon- 
er's  requirements.  A  new  shape  of  weight,  with  a 
solid  and  convenient  method  of  attachment.  Is  just 
upon  the  market  as  I  write,  and  I  am  very  sure,  that 
with  me  at  least.  It  will  take  the  place  of  split-shot 

Probably  It  would  be  unforgivable  not  to  mention 
the  baited  spoon,  though  strictly  speaking  it  has  no 
place  In  a  work  of  this  kind,  being  more  closely 
allied  to  live  bait  fishing  than  to  casting  with  artifi- 
cial lures.  Actually,  from  a  purist's  view-point,  the 
baiting  of  a  spoon  with  a  frog  or  minnow  Is  unethi- 
cal.   Truly  there  is  nothing  to  recommend  the  prac- 


242      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

tice,  but  I  must  acknowledge  that  there  are  times 
when  it  is  th\e  successful  method.  Quite  recently  i 
was  fishing  a  small  lake  in  eastern  Wisconsin,  known 
to  be  literally  alive  with  large  pike,  and  though  I 
cast  my  best,  not  a  fish  did  I  hook;  'then  my  com- 
panion, who'  lived  upon  the  shores  of  the  lake,  in- 
sisted upon  capturing  some  frogs  and  using  them  in 
combination  with  the  spoon.  We  did  so.  Rather, 
he  captured  the  frogs  and  I  used  them.  Just  as 
long  as  the  frogs  lasted  we  took  fish  and  as  soon  as 
the  supply  was  exhausted  the  sport  was  over.  Of 
course  the  live  bait  adds  the  requisite  weight  to 
make  casting  easy.  However,  I  never  could  brmg 
myself  to  regard  the  practice  with  equinimity,  for  I, 
too,  am  something  of  a  purist.  Within  a  year  or 
two  I  hope  to  get  out  a  volume  upon  fishing  with  live 
bait,  in  which  I  shall  go  into  the  subject  as  exhaus- 
tively as  may  be. 

There  remains  little  space  in  which  to  discuss 
methods,  and  indeed,  it  is  hardly  necessary,  once  the 
angler  possesses  the  spoon.  The  methods  of  using 
the  spoon  are  practically  identical  with  those  em- 
ployed when  handling  other  lures.  Remember,  I  am 
writing  of  casting  with  a  spoon  and  not  trolling;  the 
latter  will  be  discussed  in  the  following  chapter.  The 
edges  of  weed-beds  are  always  likely  places  and 
should  be  fished  out  thoroughly.  In  boat  fishing,  run 
along  within  easy  casting  distance  and  cast  to  the  very 
edge  of  the  bed,  wait  an  instant  for  the  lure  to  sink. 


SPOONS  AND  HOW  TO  CAST  THEM    243 

then  reel  slowly  in.  By  attaching  a  weediess  gang  to 
the  spoon  the  rodster  can  even  cast  into  the  little 
pockets  of  open  water,  though  he  will  find  playing 
the  hooked  fish  something  of  a  problem.  When 
bass  are  lying  in  the  shallows,  if  not  too  open,  the 
angler  may  have  some  rare  sport  casting  the  spoon, 
though  the  location  is  better  adapted  to  trolling. 
Of  course,  a  snag,  or  obstruction  of  any  sort  must 
bo  fished  out  faithfully.  The  secret  of  success  in 
bass  angling  with  any  variety  of  artificial  lure  is 
found  in  faithfulness  and  attention  to  details. 

In  fishing  a  river  from  a  bank,  it  is  the  part  of 
wisdom  to  so  maneuver  that  it  will  be  possible  to 
cast  down  stream  and  retrieve  against  the  current, 
otherwise  it  will  be  necessary  to  reel  so  rapidly  that 
the  lure  may  be  "pulled  away"  from  the  fish.  Al- 
ways, with  a  spoon,  reel  slowly,  it  is  the  golden  rule 
of  spoon  casting,  haste  not  only  making  waste,  as 
the  old  saw  has  it,  but  also  failing  to  fill  the  creel. 
Along  a  river  sheltered  by  trees,  it  is  often  possible 
to  cast  a  spoon  on  a  windy  day  wheni  it  would  be 
utterly  impossible  to  handle  the  same  lure  upon  an 
open  lake.  The  spoon-caster  will  have  need  for  all 
his  casting  skill,  employing  In  turn,  "over-head," 
"under-hand,"  and  "side-swipe,"  as  occasion  may 
demand.  Where  the  current  sets  in  strongly,  let 
the  spoon  down  to  likely  looking  spots,  do  not  at- 
tempt to  cast.  Where  the  tree-branches  sweep  the 
water,   work   above,   keeping  well  back   from  the 


244      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

bank,  and  quietly  let  the  spoon  adventure  down, 
even  under  the  low-lying  branches.  I  can  remember 
taking  three  bass  from  a  single  tree-top  by  employ- 
ing those  tactics.  The  spoon  is  more  of  a  casting 
lure  than  many  anglers  realize. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  hour's  fishing  in 
which  I  ever  indulged  was  casting  a  spoon  on  a  shal- 
low lake.  The  time  of  the  year  was  October,  the 
**bloom''  off  the  water  and  the  leafless  trees  along 
the  shore  waving  bare  arms  in  mute  protest  to  such 
late  fishing,  or  at  least  so  it  seemed  to  me.  The 
wind  that  kept  the  trees  in  motion  had  kicked  up 
quite  a  sea,  in  spite  of  which,  the  bass  were  on  the 
shallows.  What  brought  them  there  I  did  not 
know,  indeed,  I  did  not  stop  to  enquire,  satisfied  to 
know  that  they  were  present  and  hungry.  My  light 
canoe  danced  and  pranced  like  some  half  broken 
broncho.  Because  of  the  high  wind  I  found  it  im- 
possible to  get  out  over  30  feet  of  line,  more  often 
less  I  fear.  Just  how  many  bass  I  took  in  the  hour 
I  am  not  going  to  say;  too  many  for  a  single  rod  I 
know,  but  the  best  of  us  err  upon  occasion.  How 
the  line  ripped  through  the  water  and  how  the  reel 
shrieked  with  glee !  As  I  think  back  it  was  one  of 
the  most  delightful  experiences  of  my  angling  days. 


CHAPTER  IX 

TROLLING  FOR  BASS 

At  first  thought  the  bass-caster  will  be  inclined  to 
recent  the  introduction  in  this  work  of  a  chapter 
upon  trolling,  asking  with  fine  scorn,  "What  busi- 
ness has  such  a  chapter  in  a  volume  upon  casting 
any  way?"  I  answer  simply,  it  has  no  business  in 
such  a  book  as  he  has  in  mind,  but  does  have  a 
logical  place  in  a  book  dealing  with  bass  and  arti- 
ficial lures.  There  are  times  and  waters  when  and 
where  trolling  is  legitimate,  logical  and  successful. 
If  the  reader  has  but  a  single  day  to  spend  upon  a 
bass  water,  and  Fate  so  turns  the  cards  that  he  fails 
with  the  ordinary  methods  of  casting,  will  he  not 
forget  his  scruples  for  the  nonce  and  resort  to  troll- 
ing? I  believe  he  will.  I  know  just  what  it  means 
to  return  after  a  long  day  on  lake  or  stream  with  a 
creel  guiltless  of  fish.  Oh,  I  know  that  we  do  not 
"fish  for  fish,"  that  it  is  the  "lure  of  the  Outdoors" 
that  calls  us  from  town,  but  to  face  our  neighbors 
the  day  after  the  bootless  excursion,  ah,  there's  the 
rub.  While  the  methods  of  the  troller  do  not 
require  the  skill  and  finesse  demanded  of  the  caster, 
still,  to  succeed,  the  rodster  must  possess  certain 

245 


246      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

expertness  and  fish-sense  of  a  high  order.  Just  to 
throw  overboard  a  heavily  weighted  spoon  and 
troll  anywhere,  is  not  successful  trolling,  and  is  only 
a  space  removed  from  the  hand-line  of  by-gone  days. 

Trolling  with  proper  tackle  in  suitable  water  is  a 
very  attractive  method  of  angling.  It  is  not  the 
contemplative  man's  recreation,  but  neither  is 
casting  as  for  that.  Both  are  hard  work,  success 
crowning  the  man  who  works  hardest  and  most 
intelligently.  Even  when  casting,  a  half  hour  spent 
trolling  brings  welcome  relief  from  the  strain  of  the 
former  method,  and  sometimes  the  record  fish  of 
the  trip.  There  are  days  when  bass  lie  deep,  and 
are  unenticed  by  the  splashing  surface  lures,  even 
shy  of  the  cast  underwater;  then  to  troll  an  under- 
water or  spoon  some  200  feet  or  so  behind  the 
slowly  moving  boat  will  bring  ''net  results.''  With 
light  trolling  tackle,  once  connected  with  a  goodly 
bronze-back,  and  only  such  ordinarily  take  a  troll, 
the  angler  has  all  the  sport  of  playing  and  netting 
the  fish  that  the  caster  has. 

Casting  from  a  boat  is  seldom  a  one  man  sport, 
the  boatman  being  a  necessary  evil,  but  trolling  can 
properly  be  called  the  pastime  for  the  man  who 
wishes  to  consort  with  himself  and  yet  use  artificial 
lures.  Granted  that  it  is  nice  and  easy  and  lazy  to 
have  a  muscular  boatman  at  the  oars,  it  is  far  and 
away  more  satisfactory  to  propel  the  boat  yourself. 
The  rod  holder,  while  not  absolutely  essential,  is  a 


TROLLING  FOR  BASS  247 

great  convenience;  holfds  the  rod  securely,  reel  up 
and  ready  for  the  fisherman's  hand.  So  accoutered 
the  angler  can  row  about  the  lake — for  trolling  is 
pre-eminently  a  lake  sport — seeking  out  those  spots 
which  experience  has  shown  are  the  deep  lurking 
places  of  the  bass,  his  eyes  taking  in  the  beauties  all 
about.  Not  much  effort  is  required  to  keep  the  boat 
moving,  that  is  about  all  that  it  should  do — ^just 
move,  nine-tenths  of  the  trollers  troll  too  fast — so 
the  fisherman  has  ample  time  for  thought  and 
observation.  He  watches  the  wild  ducks  as  they 
wheel  in,  the  redwing  blackbirds  flitting  In  and  out 
of  the  thick  sedge,  the  edges  of  which  should  be 
investigated  for  low-lying  bass,  uttering  half-swal- 
lowed songs  the  while.     It  is  truly  enjoyable. 

In  matters  of  tackle  little  need  be  carried  in  addi- 
tion to  that  usually  employed  by  the  caster,  or  per- 
haps I  should  say,  should  employ,  if  we  except  the 
rod-holder  mentioned  in  the  preceding  paragraph. 
The  rod  may  well  be  the  regulation  casting  rod, 
though  If  you  desire,  the  so-called  Henshall  type 
will  prove  a  little  more  satisfactory,  the  "6  foot-6 
rod."  Personally,  nine  times  out  of  ten  I  make  no 
change  in  rods.  The  reel  is  the  same,  though 
usually  I  employ  a  longer  line,  filling  the  spool  full ; 
however  even  this  is  not  necessary.  The  lures  will 
be  heavy  underwaters  of  color  and  form  to  meet  the 
needs  of  the  given  water.  Green  is  very  good,  perch 
color  fine,  red  and  white  all  right.     Suit  yourself,  or 


248      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

rather,  seek  to  suit  the  bass.  Remains  to  be  said 
that  there  are  days  when  nothing  is  so  good  as  a 
regular  spoon,  like  the  Skinner  fluted.  I  have  one 
battered  and  marred  by  years  of  service  and  many  a 
pike's  tooth,  which  never  leaves  my  tackle  case  save 
as  it  is  attached  to  the  end  of  my  line,  A  number  3 
or  4  should  be  about  right. 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing  articles,  do  not 
neglect  the  gaff-hook,  to  take  the  place  of  the  net- 
head  on  occasion,  or  lacking  that,  a  good  thick  club. 
Pike,  big  pike,  have  a  liking  for  a  whirling  spoon 
and  the  angler  must  needs  be  ready  for  them  even 
if  he  is  bass  trolling.  There  is  no  way  of  warning 
them  from  the  lure,  and  I  do  not  know  that  I  would 
if  I  could.  I  very  seldom  attach  a  sinker  to  my  line, 
unless  using  an  exceedingly  light  spoon,  depending 
entirely  upon  the  weight  of  the  long  line  and  the 
slow  motion  of  the  boat  to  keep  the  lure  where  it 
should  be.  The  rodster  will  soon  learn  to  govern 
the  depth  at  which  the  lure  is  to  travel  by  the  oars. 
It  IS  more  simple  than  it  sounds. 

Weeds  are  the  bane  of  the  troUer's  life.  Early 
in  the  season  they  are  not  plentiful  but  by  August, 
when  trolling  for  bass  Is  at  its  best,  they  are  every- 
where where  there  are  fish,  lying  just  below  the 
surface.  Pretty  they  appear  when  you  look  down 
through  the  clear  water  upon  them,  waving  shadowy 
hands,  or  standing  straight  and  still,  statuesque  and 
unreal.      However,   you    forget  their   beauty  once 


TROIiLING  FOR  BASS  249 

your  troll  has  engaged  them.  Yet  those  underwater 
weeds;  scientific  names  of  which  are  unknown  to  me, 
are  not  the  worst  enemy  of  the  trolling  bass  fisher; 
the  large  root  of  the  water  lily,  even  the  leaf  stem, 
is  worse;  might  just  about  as  well  be  anchored  to  the 
root  of  a  pine  stump  so  far  as  yielding  or  becoming 
disengaged  Is  concerned.  There  is  no  weedless 
trolling  lure  worth  the  name.  If  the  troller  hooks 
up  a  weed  there  Is  just  one  thing  to  do,  stop  and  reel 
In  If  he  can,  back  up  If  he  must,  and  clear  the  hook. 
I  have  trolled  successfully  In  waters  where  It  seemed 
to  me  that  half  my  time  was  put  in  clearing  the  hook 
of  weeds.  Remember  th-at  bass  like  to  lie  In  such 
submarine  forests,  the  angler  has  that  for  his 
encouragement. 

Sometimes,  early  In  the  morning,  bass  seek  the 
shallows,  gravel  beds  or  sand  banks.  I  have  never 
found  casting  from  a  boat  overly  successful  for 
those  shallow  water  fish,  as  they  may  be  termed  for 
convenience;  perhaps  If  one  were  to  cast  an  exceed- 
ingly long  line,  upwards  of  150  feet — a  somewhat 
difficult  task  for  most  of  us  when  sitting  in  a  boat — 
they  might  be  taken.  Now,  strange  as  perhaps  it 
may  seem  to  the  reader,  I  have  experienced  little 
difficulty  In  taking  them  with  a  distant  spoon,  fluted 
spoon  rather  than  conventional  lure.  I  let  out  all 
my  line,  empty  the  spool  In  fact  save  for  a  few  yards 
reserved  for  safety,  and  troll  forth  and  back  over 
those  beds.     Ordinarily  there  is  little  or  no  danger 


250      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

from  snags,  the  worst  that  can  happen  Is  to  hook  the 
bottom  and  that  is  not  serious  when  the  bottom  is 
free  from  obsructions.  Where  the  bass  lie,  where 
they  come  from,  is  more  than  I  know,  for  one 
seldom  sees  them  when  rowing  over  the  ground.  I 
remember  a  certain  lake,  the  upper  half  of  which 
was  shallow  sand-bottomed,  with  here  and  there  a 
patch  of  blossoming  pickerel  weed.  One  whole 
week  I  camped  upon  its  shores,  casting  early  and 
late,  taking  many  a  pike  and  wall-eye;  still  fishing 
with  live  bait  for  strawberry-bass,  rock-bass,  perch 
and  such  lesser  game,  though  not  one  bass  did  I  net 
save  as  I  trolled  the  sand-shallows  with  my  ancient 
"Skinner."  One  morning  I  took  five  goodly  bronze- 
backs  In  as  many  voyages  over  the  sands.  The  time 
of  the  year  was  August,  if  that  will  be  of  any  satis- 
faction. Since  that  day  I  have  often  resorted  to  the 
method  where  the  water  was  just  right,  and  uni- 
formly with  success.  As  I  look  back  upon  the  experi- 
ence just  narrated.  It  was  one  of  the  most  enjoyable 
of  my  long  angling  life. 

It  Is  quite  generally  believed  that  August  Is  a  poor 
month  for  the  angler,  and  from  my  experience  I  am 
ready  to  aver  that  when  the  "bloom  Is  on  the  water," 
casting  Is  off  color.  Yet  there  Is  no  time  of  the  year 
when  the  knowing  and  persistent  rodster  may  not 
take  fish.  If  they  won't  bite,  make  'em!  In  July 
and  August,  if  the  season  is  unduly  warm,  the  bass 
seek  out  the   cool  recesses   amid  the  weeds,   deep 


TROLLING  FOR  BASS  251 

down,  there  to  bask  and  dream,  taking  what  food  a 
kindly  Fate  sends  their  way,  really  feeding  on  the 
surface  only  early  In  the  morning  and  perhaps  again 
at  evening,  sometimes  only  late  at  night.  Now  a 
spoon,  or  underwater  with  flashing  blades,  trolled 
over  their  lurking  places,  will  stir  them  to  attack. 
Perhaps  they  are  not  hungry,  we  will  not  open  that 
question;  to  have  them  strike  is  all  the  angler  asks. 
Once  connected,  the  why  of  the  connection  is  of  little 
importance.  Naturally  the  lure  will  run  a-foul  of 
the  weeds  many  times,  that  is  to  be  expected,  but 
who  would  not  run  the  chances  of  a  "hook-up"  for 
the  privilege  of  taking  a  bass  or  two  when  the  other 
fellows  are  failing?  There  is  more  or  less  human 
nature  about  the  average  angler. 

Thus  far  I  have  been  talking  of  lake  fishing,  for 
trolling  Is  essentially  a  lake  sport,  though  sometimes 
a  sluggish  river — must  possess  little  current — ^will 
offer  considerable  sport  to  the  angler  who  is  willing 
to  employ  the  method.  We  call  this  fish,  "bass  of 
the  banks,"  though  It  might  be  termed  with  equal 
felicity,  the  "bass  of  the  grassy  bends."  Where  the 
marsh  grass  grows  out  into  the  water,  to  the  very 
edge  of  the  deeps,  or  the  cat-tails  march  along,  their 
feet  thick  with  sedge,  there  bass  hang  out  when  the 
whim  suits  them.  I  have  never  been  able  to  deter- 
mine just  when  they  preempt  those  spots.  I  have 
taken  them  trolling  at  mid-day  with  a  bright  sun 
overhead,  I  have  taken  them  morning  and  evening, 


252      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

I  have  found  them  at  home  when  it  rained  gently 
and  when  a  midsummer  thunderstorm  shook  the 
earth  with  Teutonic  reverberations;  and  I  have 
failed  utterly,  absolutely,  ignomlniously  on  all  these 
occasions.  Shall  we  say  "luck  was  poor,"  and  let  it 
go  at  that?  This  only  I  am  certain  of,  hit  it  right 
and  the  rodster  will  have  a  morning's  sport  worth 
the  name.  After  all,  every  fish  is  an  unknown  and 
unknowable  quantity.  Just  as  we  arrive  at  a  place 
where  we  think  we  know  it  all,  they  turn  some  new 
trick,  evince  some  new  habit,  which  knocks  all  of 
our  notions  into  the  proverbial  cocked  hat. 

As  I  have  already  Intimated,  It  Is  of  utmost  im- 
portance to  troll  slowly.  If  the  reader  has  ever 
fished  with  a  hand  line  he  has  undoubtedly  dis- 
covered that  he  has  hooked  more  fish  when  the  boat 
was  coming  about,  and  if  he  stopped  to  enquire  why, 
found  the  answer  in  the  slowing  up  of  the  lure. 
There  I  received  my  first  lesson  In  successful  trolling. 
The  angler  needs  to  have  his  lure  away  down  well 
towards  the  bottom,  for  If  the  fish  are  near  the  sur- 
face he  will  not  resort  to  trolling,  he  will  cast.  Cast- 
ing Is  by  all  odds  the  most  sportsman-Hke  and 
satisfactory;  there  is  no  excuse  for  resorting  to  the 
method  described  in  this  chapter  when  the  former  Is 
successful. 

If  the  angler  can  have  a  wilderness  lake  to  himself 
early  some  morning,  slipping  about  the  shores  and 
weed-beds,   or  seeking  out  the  shallows,   the  boat 


TROLLING  FOR  BASS  253 

moving  slowly  and  silently  along,  the  long  line  trail- 
ing out  behind,  in  rapport  with  his  environment,  he 
will  bless  me  for  the  hints  contained  In  this  chapter. 
Trolling  Is  not  work  unless  the  rodster  makes  it  so; 
in  ease  It  is  second  to  live  bait  fishing,  standing  in 
sportsmanship  about  midway  between  casting  and 
live  bait  fishing.  Its  attractivlty  lies  In  the  oppor- 
tunities It  offers  for  thought  and  observation,  both 
of  which  are  important  components  of  angling. 
That  casting  is  hard  work  I  have  said  again  and 
again  throughout  this  work,  and  by  the  same  token, 
the  harder  you  work  the  more  successful  you  will  be, 
knowledge  and  skill  being  equal.  There  Is  little 
value  In  muscle  when  we  turn  to  trolling,  the  crown 
Is  for  the  man  who  knows  the  water  and  fish.  More 
than  once  I  have  forgotten  the  tagging  lure,  lost  In 
contemplation  of  the  rising  sun,  or  the  antics  of  some 
creature  of  the  wild  in  the  out-reaching  branches  of 
the  trees.  Once  I  reeled  in  my  line  to  follow  a  pair 
of  loons,  foolishly  thinking  that  I  could  surprise 
them  and  secure  a  picture.  I  submit  that  the  average 
angler  will  never  become  so  enamoured  of  his  sur- 
roundings as  to  become  entirely  unconscious  of  his 
lure. 

The  fish  hooked  150  feet  behind  the  boat  Is  a  dif- 
ferent proposition,  from  the  fish  within  50  or  60 
feet.  If  hooked  on  a  spoon  In  the  shallows,  he  goes 
into  the  air  at  once,  sometimes  so  far  away  he 
appears  that  the  angler  doubts  If  he  is  on  the  line  at 


254      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

all.  None  of  those  quick  thrills  which  inebriate  the 
caster  comes  along  the  line  to  the  troUer,  the  fish  is 
too  distant  for  that;  and  for  that  very  reason  the 
angler  must  be  "on  his  job''  or  the  bass  will  eject 
the  lure.  To  keep  a  taut  line  on  the  broncho  of  the 
foam  is  something  of  a  problem,  a  problem  the  solv- 
ing of  which  will  require  all  the  angler's  skill. 
Believe  me,  trolling  successfully  is  not  so  simple  a 
thing  as  perhaps  I  have  led  the  reader  to  believe. 
The  fish  hooked  deep  is  apt  to  fight  there,  and  as 
every  bass  knows  the  value  of  any  obstruction,  look 
out  for  weeds.  The  caster  will  be  "hung  up,"  it  Is 
sure  to  happen;  let  him  take  that  for  his  consolation, 
and  smile.  More  than  once  I  have  pulled  in  a  bass, 
weeds  and  all,  simply  by  "main  strength  and  awk- 
wardness." A  dangerous  proceeding,  it  is  true, 
dangerous  unless  the  rodster  Is  employing  the  very 
best  of  tackle  from  hook  to  hand-grasp. 

There  is  a  weedy  lake  connecting  with  Shawano 
Lake,  Wisconsin,  which  was  the  theatre  of  one  of 
my  ichthyic  dramas  some  years  ago.  We  camped 
there — my  wife,  girl  and  I — for  three  glorious,  care 
free  days;  just  run  away  letting  no  one  know  where 
we  had  gone.  Well,  It  was  an  "off-time"  with  the 
bass,  we  were  compelled  the  first  day  to  be  content 
with  yellow  perch,  and  I  am  not  sure  but  they  are 
better  pan-fish  than  the  lordly  bass,  but  let  that  pass. 
The  second  morning  I  stole  from  the  little  tent 
before  the  light  had  begun  to  tinge  the  east,  making 


TROLLING  FOR  BASS  255 

my  way  out  upon  the  silent,  misty  lake.  With  the 
first  light  I  began  casting,  at  the  head,  where  the 
over-flow  from  Loon  Lake  enters,  and  worked 
around  to  the  foot,  where  "our"  lake  disembouges 
into  Shawano  Lake.  It  was  a  dreary  failure,  and  I 
was  all  but  discouraged;  but  I  was  not  completely 
discouraged,  no  true  follower  of  Izaak  Walton  is 
ever  that. 

Attaching  an  "Expert  Minnow,"  perch  colored,  I 
let  out  all  the  line  my  Meek  contained,  and  began  to 
circle  the  shore  just  beyond  the  fringing  weeds.  I 
was  half  way  around  the  lake  before  I  hooked  any- 
thing, a  good  pike,  but  as  I  was  not  after  pike,  I 
liberated  him  and  continued  my  voyage.  I  received 
my  second  "shock"  where  the  water  shoaled  near 
the  outlet.  The  morning  mist  was  still  so  dense  that 
I  could  not  see  the  location  of  my  lure,  something 
like  150  or  200  feet  behind.  Without  waiting  to 
strike,  or  even  touch  the  rod,  I  turned  the  bow  of  the 
boat  toward  the  center  of  the  little  body  of  water,- 
keeping  a  constant  strain  upon  the  rod  by  plying  the 
oars.  When  I  thought  I  was  far  enough  from  the 
dangerous  weeds,  I  took  the  rod  from  the  holder 
and  prepared  to  fight  a  pike,  for  that  lake  was  a 
great  pike  water  and  there  was  no  question  in  my 
mind  but  that  the  fish  was  one  of  those  fighting 
gentry.  The  fog  fooled  me,  however;  I  was  near 
the  weed-bed  upon  the  far  side  of  the  lake,  and  my 
capture  managed  to  reach  its  shelter.     Still  think- 


256      CASTING  TACKLE  AND  METHODS 

ing  that  it  was  an  unusually  large  pike,  I  mentally 
prayed  that  he  would  break  loose  and  not  take  the 
lure  with  him.  Had  the  fish  stayed  in  the  weeds  all 
would  have  been  well  with  him,  but  the  pull  of  the 
line  was  more  than  he  could  withstand.  Out  into 
the  free  water  he  came,  a  strange,  inert  and  logy 
pike.  Unresisting,  save  for  dead  weight,  I  reeled 
him  up  to  the  boat,  discovering  what  had  taken  all 
the  fight  out  of  him.  Fast  to  the  lure  and  closely 
wrapped  about  the  fish  was  a  great  halo  of  weeds  as 
large  as  a  bushel  basket.  Weeds  and  all  I  lifted  into 
the  boat,  and  imagine  my  surprise  when  I  discovered 
in  the  midst  of  the  weeds  a  7  pound  large-mouth, 
the  largest  bass  save  one,  ever  to  fall  to  my  rod. 
Do  you  wonder,  reader,  that  I  have  given  trolling 
for  bass  a  place  in  "Casting  Tackle  and  Methods"? 

Just  because  it  is  ''Not  all  of  fishing  to  fish,"  and 
my  mind  is  haunting  that  sheet  of  water  in  Shawano 
County,  Wisconsin,  known  to  anglers  by  the  un- 
euphonious  title  of  "Mud  Lake,"  I  am  going  to 
burden  the  reader  with  another  "yarn." 

Upon  another  occasion  Wife  and  I  were  visiting 
the  lake,  for  we  were  in  the  habit  of  fleeing  to  it 
whenever  the  cares  of  our  profession  became  too 
arduous,  which,  by  the  way,  was  quite  often  during 
the  fishing  season.  Well,  one  morning,  floating  idly 
near  the  shore  where  the  conical  peak  of  our  little 
tent  showed  above  the  green  under-brush,  intent 
upon  securing  a  mess  of  yellow  perch  for  dinner,  my 


TROLLING  FOR  BASS  257 

wife  suddenly  uttered  an  exclamation,  lifting  high 
above  the  water  a  small  sunfish.  I  gazed  over  the 
side  of  the  boat  to  see  one  of  the  largest  large- 
mouths  it  has  ever  been  my  good  fortune  to  gaze 
upon  lying  near  the  surface  waiting  patiently  for 
that  sunny  to  come  back. 

"Drop  your  hook!    Drop  your  hook!"  I  hissed. 

"But,"  she  whispered,  "but  if  I  did  he'd  get  on." 
Then,  shades  of  Izaak  Walton  and  the  prioress  of 
St.  Albans!  she  actually  turned  to  the  fish  with, 
"Shoo!  you  nasty  thing,  shoo!"  Needless  to  add, 
the  bass  "shooed." 


\^^