Fishing tackle

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FISHING TACKLE

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A-^^-^OR, LENOX
M.O ■ OU-NDATIONS

Practice With a Salmon Fly-Rod

Tti£ NEW VO...

PUBLIC LIBRARY'

8848<}8

ASTOR, LENOX AND

riLDEN FOUNDATIONS

'^ 1910 L

Copyright, 1914, by
OUTING PUBLISHING COMPANY

All rights reserved

Thanks are due the publishers of Forest and Stream
and Field and Stream for permission to incorporate in
this volume material which aopeared in those publications.

• «

» •« »

• * »

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. Work and Recreation in the

Closed Season . . . . ii
II. Overhauling the Tackle-Box 15

III. Care of Rods 26

IV. Cleaning and Revarnishing . 34
V. Reels and Their Care . . .41

VI. Cork Drums for Reels . . .58

VII. Leaders, Gut, and Eyed Flies . 63

VIIL Rod Cases and Forms ... 77

IX. General Hints 80

X. Equipment for Fly- and Bait-
Casting 85

XL Fly-Casting Contests ... 99
XII. Fly-Fishing Practice . . .104

XIII. Tournament Lines . . . .117

XIV. Tournament Fly-Casting . .132

'

[

ILLUSTRATIONS

^v^Practicc with a Salmon Fly-Rod. Frontispiece

\ FACING PAGE

• Fly-Fishing for Trout 32

J^iubber and German Silver Single Action

i Reel 41

Of Light Click Reel 42

L Narrow Dry-Fly Reel 44

Milan No. 2 Quadruple Multiplying Reel 45

Meek No. 2 Reel 46

Meek No. 3 Reel 47

Position of Hand and Reel in Casting. . . 54
Reels of Same Size Fitted with Cork

Drums 58

orming the Leader Loops. 68

Attaching End of Line to Leader 68

Method of Tying a Leader Knot 70

Eyed Fly Box 71

. The Turle Knot 72

^ Hooks i 74

V\ Case for Rods 78

1^ The Short Bait-Casting Rod Is Handy on

Pack Trips 80

^

ILLUSTRATIONS

Casting Platforms 88

Rod Rack 90

Floats for Marking Line 93

Accuracy Bait-Casting Target 95

Dry-Fly Accuracy Casting — Washington

Park, Chicago 96

Forward Cast 108

Back Cast 109

Position at Finish of the Forward Cast. . 112

Splicing 122

Reel for Tournament Fly Lines 125

Bait-Casting for Bass in Florida 128

♦

FISHING TACKLE

CHAPTER I

WORK AND RECREATION IN THE CLOSED SEASON

AT one of the fly- and bait-casting tourna-
/-% ments of the National Association of
Scientific Angling Clubs, a visitor who
had been an angler all his life, but who de-
sired to become proficient in casting with the
fly-rod, asked if, in purchasing a tournament
fly-rod, it would be advisable for him to begin
with a rod of say nine feet and eight ounces,
practice with it awhile, then purchase one of ten
or eleven feet, and so on, his idea being that
he would be sure to get the wrong sort of a rod
at first, but would ultimately learn what was
best. There are thousands of anglers who
view the purchase of fishing tackle in this light
I am well aware. To them it seems that there
IS something mysterious connected with rods
and tackle and that they can only master de-
tails after wasting some money.

IX

12 FISHING TACKLE

To a great many anglers, too, the idea of
repairing their own rods and tackle seems im-
possible, while as for making little odds and
ends of constant usefulness, this is believed to
be a task to be looked at only in the light of
certain failure.

In my little workshop I have a few simple
tools with which I have made a number of
articles, which if not handsome, have at least
given me the greatest satisfaction when they
proved to be practical. There are very few
anglers who cannot do even better work. Dur-
ing the long evenings of autumn and winter a
great deal of amusement may be obtained from
overhauling the fishing rods and tackle, making
little devices for use the next season, and giv-
ing the weary brain change and rest from the
exactions of one's daily toil.

Just to show how the angler may experiment
along the lines that fascinate him, I will mention
a new reel which, while from one of the best
makers, did not act just as I thought it should.
All of the parts were beautifully made and fit-
ted, but there was tremendous vibration during
a cast, and in my own way I reasoned that the
handle was at fault. Not wishing to mar this,
I removed it, and searching through a box of
junk, found a scrap of aluminum about half as

WORK AND RECREATION 18

thick as the German silver handle of the reel.
Laying the handle on this scrap, I traced its
outline with a scratch-awl, but made it shorter
than the factory handle, then, with a tiny saw
cut just outside the lines, filed the edges
smooth, bored a hole in the center and
squared this to fit the handle-post.

Holes were drilled, in one end for a finger
knob and in the other for a counter-weight. The
knob was made from a piece of brass rod.
The head of a round-head screw was cut off and
filed until it would just balance the knob when
the new handle was laid across one edge of a
three-square file. Both the screw-head and the
knob were riveted in place, the handle made fast
on the post, arid timing the reel with my watch,
I found that it would spin twenty-six seconds
without appreciable vibration, whereas with
the original handle it would spin only seventeen
seconds, and the vibration was disagreeable in
casting.

This work took more than an hour, but while
the reel was improved for my use, no harm had
been done the original handle. The manufac-
turer probably had a certain number of handles
made, and used this one, which answered the
purpose in a general way, but was not of the
best weight or length for that particular reel.

14 FISHING TACKLE

A little careful investigation was worth while
in this instance. Any angler possessing ordinary
skill can make a better handle than mine — and
this is true of nearly all repairs and improve-
ments in rods and tackle. Besides, there is a
satisfaction in overcoming a difficulty yourself
instead of leaving it to someone else.

CHAPTER II

OVERHAULING THE TACKLE-BOX

ITH the passing of the winter anglers
begin to make plans for the next fish-
ing season. And although the nights
gradually grow shorter, it is not until half of
the winter has passed, and the nights are cold,
and it is so pleasant to stay indoors and tinker
until bedtime, that one feels like settling down
to doing something with his fishing outfit.

If the veteran anglers find in the chapters
that follow any matter that is ancient history
to them, they will, I know, be charitable enough
to admit that beginners search diligently through
books and papers for information of this sort,
and they deserve all the consideration and en^
couragement that we can give them. Even
some of the veterans, it is hoped, may find here
a wrinkle or two worth remembering; for in all
walks of life we find persons who say they are
" not handy '* at doing this or that thing, and
thereby lose a lot of pleasure. For it is real
pleasure, and a source of lasting satisfaction

IS

16 FISHING TACKLE

as well, to any angler to repair his own tackle,
and all through the active season he can make
mental notes of the changes which his experience
tells him he should make " next winter."

The alterations made are those decided on
after long consideration, and half the pleasure
of accomplishment would be lost were someone
else allowed to do the tinkering planned for
winter pastime. The rodmaker can hardly do
these small jobs, for if minor changes must be
made by a professional, the chances are that
they will not be made at all, new articles being
purchased instead. One cannot as well explain
how he wants a thing done as to tinker it out
himself. And the tackle dealer who keeps re-
pair materials and fittings reaps his profit on
these articles in the dull season.

The first thing to do is to lay out the entire
fishing kit and make a detailed survey and in-
ventory. If a new rod is decided on, write
down its specifications, while your ideas are
fresh, at the end of the season's fishing. Go
over the old rods and recall their faults, so that
the new one may be different. Then give the
order for the new one to your rodmaker, so
that he may have abundant time to fill the order
before his busy season comes on. You will be
much better satisfied with the rod he makes for

OVERHAULING 17

you in the winter than if you wait until March
before ordering.

If fly lines have been left on the reels, take
them off and roll them in coils five inches or
more in diameter. If left on the reel a water-
proof silk line will come off in small spirals
difficult to straighten, and it is a good idea to
rub it with a piece of flannel moistened with
crude petroleum, then rub this all off, coil loosely
and tie coil in three or four places with thread.
Hang it up in your tackle cabinet, and now and
then during the winter give it a gentle " shaking
up," to be sure that it has not gone sticky from
too much artificial heat.

A cool closet is the best place for fine lines.
It is a good plan to keep a dressed line on one
of the large tournament reels, described in Fig.
30. I make it a practice to transfer my line
from my fishing reel to a tournament reel as
soon as I return from a fishing excursion, and by
so doing never have any trouble with the line.

About all that can be done to preserve the
braided silk bait-casting line is to keep it dry.
The angler has a choice of three kinds: un-
dressed silk; waterproofed silk; and soft
dressed. Nearly all treated lines are more dif-
ficult to use on a bait reel than those that are
not treated, as such lines are more or less wiry,

18 FISHING TACKLE

and sometimes spring off the reel in spirals,
or cause backlashes. The soft dressed line, be-
ing braided softer and finished by hand rubbing,
gives less trouble than other lines. Among the
better class of undressed lines, the favorites
seem t€<. be those that are braided very hard
over a heavy, twisted silk core, the braid being
so tight as to render the line practically water-
proof, or at least against soaking. These lines
are also very smooth and keep their shape,
which a soft line will not do.

Paraffin dissolved in turpentine and applied
quite warm by soaking the line in it will im-
prove undressed silk lines without rendering
them wiry, but this, like a paraffin-benzine dress-
ing, will wear off in time. The gossamer-like
casting lines have so little body that it is diffi-
cult to fill them with anything that will not
quickly wear off.

In Mrs. Marbury's " Favorite Flies " a cor-
respondent makes the claim that small casting
lines can be improved by soaking them in a
warmed solution of paraffin and benzine. He
calls this semi-waterproofing and claims that a
line so treated will last longer and cast further
than any other. The line is not taken out of
the solution until the latter cools, in order that
all the wax possible may be retained in the line.

OVERHAULING 19

Dry for a day, then rub with a cloth and chamois
skin. I prefer turpentine to benzine, as the
former renders the line soft and waxy. The tents
which I have treated in this way for many years
seem never to rot, are soft and light, and have
never leaked.

If you have never used a line dryer, begin
now. There are several good and inexpensive
ones on the market. No bait line can be de-
pended on if left on the reel over night without
drying. A silk line costs from one to four
dollars for one hundred yards, and no angler
can afford to let a good line rot for want of
drying. Lines are frequently injured by miner-
als in the water they are used in, and if they
are dried after use, this may partially offset the
harm. If you have no dryer, pull the line off
the reel and into your hat, or in a pan, if you
are in camp, putting the receptacle in some place
where it will not be turned over. In the morn-
ing wind the line back on the reel. Never dry
a silk line in the sun. A dryer is best, for the
line can be left on one over night, so that the
air will have abundant time to dry the line
thoroughly.

In what shape do you Keep your loose hooks,
sinkers, swivels, trolling and casting spoons,
artificial minnows, etc.? The neat little boxes

20 FISHING TACKLE

these come in are all right, but if one has many,
they are bulky enough to fill a suit-case instead
of a tackle-box. It is a good plan to put in the
tackle-box the reels, lines, etc., customarily taken
on fishing trips, then fill in the remaining space
with the sliding-top boxes the baits come in.
Put away all boxes not needed, and put several
baits in each box retained. Each variety in a
separate box will simplify matters. The small
spinners and casting spoons go nicely into little
envelopes to be tucked in corners of the tackle-
box, loose hooks in other envelopes, snelled
hooks in a box by themselves. A small tin
tobacco-box is handy for odds and ends like
sinkersi swivels, small spool of silk, wax, and
cement.

The trade supplies celluloid and other cases
of various shapes for artificial lures, and these
are cheap. Lures kept in them are free from
rust, and better still, from the tangling that is
inevitable when many devices with hooks at-
tached are kept together. Besides, one may
see what is in each envelope without opening
it — an immense advantage when he is in a hur-
ry to change lures.

A file, a small bottle of the best reel oil, or
better, one of the metal oil tubes; two pairs of
small pliers, one with flat, the other with round

OVERHAULING 21

jaws; and a screw-driver (for reels) should be
in every tackle-box. With this equipment you
have a complete repair kit, and can change baits
to suit conditions as you find them, ashore or
afloat

An assortment of eyed flies is handy, too, for
the bait-caster. When bass are taking feathered
spinners or spoons, changing flies is often advis-
able, and this is especially true when single-
hook lures are used instead of the now too com-
mon trebles. Some anglers remove all treble
hooks from artificial lures, replacing them with
single bare or feathered hooks, these to be
changed to suit conditions. If this practice
is followed, it is handy to keep a few lures un-
mounted, attaching a bare hook and a minnow,
or an eyed bass fly, as required. In this con-
nection it is worth noting that few of our hooks
of O/O size and thereabout have eyes large
enough to go on the wires with which the ma-
jority of our spoons and wooden minnows are
fitted, necessitating the use of steel split-rings
to attach eyed hooks to the lures in a proper
manner.

It IS a moot question whether treble and
groups of treble hooks are worth the trouble
and profanity they cause. Some anglers have
decided views on this subject, declaring that they

22 FISHING TACKLE

can take as many bass on single as on treble
hooks. Certainly the single hook is the more
sportsmanlike of the two, and I believe the
custom of using three to five trebles will give
place to the single hook, or at most three singles.

While the lure which carries a single tail-
hook is the neatest and least troublesome in
weedy waters, for bass it is not always a suc-
cessful one, because of their habit of striking
a bait amidships. Two side hooks and one tail-
hook, however, are enough for all practical
purposes. It is claimed that pike were respon-
sible for the first trebles and it is also said the
devil invented the device. Be that as it may,
trebles are put on nearly all lures because such
articles are made for jobbers. The retailers
are not particular. They order standard baits,
and these are equipped with one, three, or five
trebles.

No doubt all manufacturers would be glad
to equip their baits with single hooks. Their
goods would make a better appearance in
sample cases and tackle stores, and, everybody,
from the maker to the angler, could get along
without swearing. Trying to put a wooden
minnow equipped with treble hooks in a box is
like attempting to put a healthy tomcat on his
back. When you think you have succeded, you

OVERHAULING 23

haven't and afterward you wish you hadn't
tried.

Some manufacturers arrange their lures so
that the hooks may be changed, just as a fly-
fisher changes flies, to suit prevailing con-
ditions. Each spoon or spinner is part of a set,
the other members in which consist of four or
six eyed flies of well-known merit. I may be
prejudiced in their favor, but I have found them
valuable additions to my tackle because they
are killers, and the flies are well made. Every
dealer stocks them.

Many wooden minnows, spoons, and spin-
ners are equipped with feathered treble hooks,
the feathers on which are red and white. If
bass do not take a fancy to them, the angler
often thinks there is something wrong with the
lure's size and color when the fault lies in the
rooster-feathered hooks. A trial of a few lures
fitted with royal coachman, Parmacheene Belle,
gray drake, Seth Green, grizzly king, buck-
tail, silver doctor, or some of the hackles, on
single hooks, may alter one's views and give
his single-hook lure a wider range of useful-
ness.

If one fly-fishes often, of course his outfit
will be much smaller than if he fishes with both
fly- and bait-rods, but if he goes far afield on

24 FISHING TACKLE

vacations, he will hardly feel safe without a
modest tackle box or book, with a few compact
articles tucked away in it. This outfit is a good
deal like the emergency medicine case — ^it may
not seem to be worth taking along, but when
it is needed, it is needed badly.

It is true that the less one investigates the
mechanism of his reel, the better service will it
render; but this is not a hard and fast rule. If
you do take your reel apart, however, use a
screw-driver adapted to that particular purpose.
The best type that I have ever seen is obtainable
from tackle dealers generally and stores that
make a specialty of fine tools. The blade should
fit the screw-head slots perfectly, as otherwise
they will be marred and will cut the delicate
line. The kind referred to has a milled stem
fitted with a swivel top that fits in the palm of
the hand, so that the driver is held steadily while
the fingers alone turn the blade. Such a tool
costs a few cents more than the common kind,
but is invaluable.

Keep a very fine file in the tackle-box. The
kind known in the trade as a needle file is best
for the purpose. The stem is round, the blade
flat on one side and slightly rounded on the
other, tapering to a fine point. It is somewhat
delicate, but nicely tempered, and will not break

OVERHAULING 25

if handled with ordinary care. With one of
these files the barbs of hooks may be sharp-
ened when they are dull, and so keen is the
edge of the file that you can cut through brass
and copper wire as with a delicate saw, and
small repairs call for a file of this sort.

Rough places on guides, reel-seats or ferrules
may be smoothed without scratching the pol-
ished surface, though it is well to finish up with
a tiny piece of the finest grade of crocus cloth,
to insure a good polish. Powdered tripoli, used
by machinists for buffing, etc., is also excellent
for polishing. Oil a piece of chamois skin, then
coat it lightly with tripoli, and you have a good
hand polisher for rusted hooks, tarnished troll-
ing spoons, rod fittings, and reels. The tripoli
will polish without scratching, but for obstinate
cases flour emery in oil may be used. Dry em-
cry cuts too rapidly for any polished surface.
Powdered chalk is another good medium for
polishing metal. Use crude petroleum with it,
and also with tripoli. Crude oil cleans and is a
very handy thing to have in the tackle-box. Keep
it in one of the little metal tubes previously
referred to.

CHAPTER III

CARE OF THE RODS

WHEN you come to the fishing rods, it
is a good plan to take them all out
of the tackle cabinet or place where
they are kept, joint them up and examine them
in a superficial way to see if any ferrules are
loose, and if there are any kinks in tops that may
be straightened out before the angling season
comes around. Too often anglers get into
the habit of standing rod-joints in a corner in a
closet. If they are protected by wood forms,
leather cases, aluminum or bamboo tubes, there
is little danger that tips and joints will go
crooked, but if left in cloth cases, tied with
tapes, they may need straightening. It is handy
to keep a rod in a cloth case, but often one tape
is tied more securely than others, and the swell
of the hand-grasp will help to curve the tips
if the rod is left in a dry place for several weeks.
The beauty of a fine trout rod may be marred
in a short time merely by leaning the joints
against a wall.

A better plan is to suspend all the parts from

26

CARE OF THE RODS 27

brass brads driven in the walls of the tackle
cabinet. The top-rings of the tips will fit these
brads, as also the top guides of the joints. Better
still, suspend the jointed rod from a hook placed
in the ceiling of a cool closet. This applies to
split bamboo as well as wood rods, for while
the latter are more easily put out of shape dur-/
ing the frequent changes in temperature in win-
ter, split bamboo may also lose its shape in time
under the conditions named, particularly the
slender tips and middle joints.

If a wood rod becomes hopelessly set through
long use and heavy strain, suspend it from a
brad driven into the picture moulding in a cool
room, where it will not touch anything, * and
leave a heavy reel on it, the latter, of course,
covered with its chamois bag to keep out dust.
After a few damp days you will notice the
change, and before the^fishing season opens the
rod should be free from set. But if not, hang
a weight on the butt in lieu of the reel. Rods
used in tournament casting often become set
in the direction of the greatest strain, and this
is difficult to correct, but the treatment referred
to above will help. Applying heat direct, bend-
ing in the opposite direction, and leaving the tip
under weights are all too severe for a favorite
rod, but it should be straightened if this can

28 FISHING TACKLE

be done without injuring it, for one cannot cast
accurately with a crooked rod.

Another good plan is to fasten the crooked
tip or joint to a steel rod or to the edge of a
board that is straight. Wind over all with
tape or soft cord, being certain that the tip lies
true with the axis of the rod.

If you happen to know a metal worker who
has an enamelling oven, ask permission to
" warm over " your rod in it. A temperature of
150 degrees F. will not harm it if the parts are
laid flat on one of the shelves or trays. Straight-
en the joints as soon as they are taken out of the
oven, then suspend them until they are cold.
An old split bamboo rod that has lost its
" ginger " may be improved by this treatment,
as the glue will be warmed slightly, and will
set again as the cane cools. The temperature
mentioned above will not affect the varnish
on the rod, but it is not well to go above that
point.

With the rods all jointed up and in shape to
be examined and tried for faults, decide on
what changes or repairs, if any, should be
made by their maker, and do not delay plac-
ing such rods in his hand at once, if they re-
quire his expert skill. Rodmakers are human
and therefore likely to be less thorough when

CARE OF THE RODS 29

rushed half to death with hurry orders the
week before the fishing season opens than if
permitted to take their own time on repair
work. You have a right to expect them to do
their best work on your rods, but too often
you give them very short notice. Be fair to
them.

When you have laid aside the rod or rods
requiring the repairs that may be made at home,
take up one that merely needs cleaning and
brightening up. The cork grasp, if soiled and
discolored, may be improved by rubbing with
a moist cloth and soap. Generally this will
suffice to remove the combined oil and dust and
leave the cork bright and fresh, but if not, try
alcohol on a cloth, turpentine, or even benzine,
rubbing the grasp lengthwise to prevent the
liquid from softening the glue. After the grasp
has dried, roll a piece of tissue paper around
it and bind with a couple of elastics, to keep it
clean while you work on other parts of the
joint. If the grasp be very badly soiled, rub
it slightly with an old, worn piece of the finest
grade of sandpaper.

Now look over the ferrules. If one is loose,
remove it. If it Is fastened with a pin, and
this does not go clear through, tapping around
the pin with the wood handle of a screw-driver

80 FISHING TACKLE

may raise it enough so that it may be drawn
out with pliers; otherwise, tap lightly with a
pointed instrument until the pin is driven be-
low the surface of the ferrule, which may then
be removed and the pin drawn from the wood.
The best ferrules are pinned through from
side to side, and the pins are easily pushed
down far enough to be removed with pliers.

Scrape the old cement off the wood, and heat-
ing your stick of cement, preferably over the
flame of an alcohol lamp, at the same time
warming the surface to be coated, spread the
cement over the wood and smooth it around
with a toothpick. Warm the ferrule just enough
to soften the cement that is in it and push it
home. It is not difficult to fit it exactly as it
was before if a needle be used to locate the hole
from which you drew the pin and of course this
is desirable, since the making of a new hole
may serve to weaken the wood at that point.
If any cement exudes below the ferrule, scrape
this off with a toothpick, but wait until it is
cold before rubbing off all traces of cement with
crude oil on a bit of silk or linen. If the ferrule
fits the wood too loosely, wind the latter with
very thin silk before coating with cement.

Agate guides that are loose in their mount-
ings may be tightened with a tiny drop of

CARE OF THE RODS 81

cement applied while hot on a toothpick. Do
not heat the agate, as it may crack.

Every rodmaker has a cement of his own
and neither sells it nor discloses its ingredients,
but when all is said on this subject, there are
few cements that will hold longer than shellac.
Take a jar of orange shellac that is old and
sticky. Moisten with a few drops of alcohol
until it resembles molasses candy. Warm, ap-
ply, and be happy.

Take up a rod that has frayed or loose
windings here and there; remove all of these
and prepare to renew them. Tackle dealers
will supply you with winding silk. The colors
most used are pale red, black, grass green, and
jasper (mottled black and white or brown and
white). With the exception of black, all silk
darkens when varnished, hence no matter what
color you select, see that it is one or two shades
lighter than your first choice. Avoid lilac, pur-
ple and other delicate shades, as they will fade
on being exposed to the sunlight. Orange is
a good color, and if you desire less of the so-
called barber-pole effect, select cream-colored
silk, which is practically transparent under the
varnish. Lemon is another shade that gives a
nice effect under varnish.

If you must depend on dry goods shops for

82 FISHING TACKLE

silk, A is usually the smallest size obtainablei
and it will answer, although it is too coarse for
nice winding. The larger the rod, the coarser
may the silk be, and for salmon and salt water
rods I have used button-hole silk for guide and
ferrule windings. For trout rods OO is the best
size for all windings.

When all of the frayed windings have been
renewed, coat the silk, and it alone, with the
best grain alcohol shellac, and while this is
fresh, pass it over a thin flame, turning the rod
rapidly meanwhile. This will cement the wind-
ings and the shellac, and make a neat finish.
Give the windings a second coat of shellac, and
when this is dry, cover the windings with coach
varnish, using a fine-pointed brush and letting
the varnish extend a trifle beyond the winding
on either side.

If guides must be rewound, fasten them In
place temporarily with waxed thread and be-
gin to wind with silk toward the guide, not
away from it. In this way the end of guide-
seat is covered first and the windings will be
even, whereas if you begin next the guide and
wind away from it, the silk will slip off the
end of the guide-seat. Where the guide Is
to be wound with two or more colors, as red
with green edgings, the two outside edgings

I

CARE OF THE RODS 88

should be put on first, and the original silk-
end left without cutting, in order that the wider
center winding will grip it and hold all to-
gether. Both outer edgings being finished, wind
the two wide bands, then the two inner edgings.

CHAPTER IV

tLEANING AND VARNISHING

IF the butt-cap and reel-seat of your rod
are tarnished, rub them with tripoli on a
cloth moistened with crude oil, then polish
all of the ferrules in the same manner until
they are free from the season's stains. Hold
the joint under your left arm, with the ferrule
resting on the edge of a table, and polish with a
narrow strip of cloth In the same way that a
bootblack " shines " your boots. This will leave
the metal a dead white that will not glisten
in the sun. If there is any varnish on the fer-
rules, it may be removed with crude oil, but in
rubbing be careful not to damage the wind-
ings.

Holding the rod as described above, go over
It from end to end with just a trace of crude
oil on a cloth. Rubbing lengthwise will tend to
work the oil into the windings and darken them,
whereas all that is needed is to clean and polish
the varnish. Some anglers prefer sweet oil
for this purpose, but lubricating oils are too
penetrating.

34

CLEANING AND VARNISHING 35

Follow with chamois skin or an old silk
handkerchief, rubbing briskly, but very lightly,
working backward and forward rapidly to
avoid heating the varnish through friction.

When the rod is perfectly dry examine
it in several places with a microscope. If the
varnish is cracked, as it may be after several
seasons' use, covering this old varnish with a
fresh coat is scarcely to be recommended, when
the obvious need is to scrape the rod, rewind,
and varnish afresh; but if the varnish is in fair
condition, give the rod a new coating. For this
purpose buy a three-quarter-inch oval camel-
hair brush and a small can of extra light coach
varnish. The dealers supply this or Equally
good rod varnish in small bottles. Do not
let anyone persuade you to use shellac.

Before varnishing, leave the rod in a warm
room until it is in condition to insure the var-
nish taking hold, and at the same time put the
varnish bottle in a pan of warm water. Coach
varnish is quite thick and somewhat gummy.
Warming it softens the gum it carries, and
makes it flow and set nicely, insuring a more
brilliant coating than is possible if it is used
cold. Cold varnish may contain minute lumps
of gum that amalgamate with the oil when
warmed; therefore, use warm varnish.

86 FISHING TACKLE

Coat the winding next to the ferrule first,
carefuly avoiding the metal. Lay the varnish
lightly around each winding, then flow it a
trifle more thickly lengthwise of the joint, turn-
ing the latter slowly to insure an even coating.
This varnish is laid on quite thickly, but not
so much so that it will crawl or set in patches.
If in doubt, go over the work without any fresh
varnish in the brush, touching the varnish very
lightly, to smooth it evenly throughout.

Stand each joint in a warm place out of the
wind or any draft that may carry dust. When
the rod is finished, joint it up and suspend from
a hook in a place where no person or object
will touch it. It will dry in a few hours, but
should not be handled for at least three days.
Drying in the sun, while not always harmful,
is likely to expose the varnish to dust. Choose
a dry day for the work.

Clean the varnish brush carefully with soap
and hot water, and when it is dry, put it away
in a place free from dust. Keep the varnish
bottle tightly corked, and expose the varnish
as little as possible to the air.

There is nothing more discouraging to the
angler than a failure in varnishing a rod. And
varnishing is a delicate operation. One may
finish the rod with the utmost care, polishing the

CLEANING AND VARNISHING 87

wood until it glistens, winding neatly, and then,
when it is almost ready for use, have bad luck
in varnishing, and feel like throwing the rod
away, for apparently it is ruined, and there is
nothing left to do but remove windings and
guides, scrape it down and begin the work all
over again.

This, however, is a mistake, for the fault
may be remedied if one is careful. Take a
bethabara rod, for example. This wood is
more or less oily. You may finish a rod with
the greatest care, wetting the wood to raise
the grain, then cutting down all roughness,
polishing with mild ablrasives, then with fine
bethabara shavings, and finally with tissue pa-
per, until the wood glistens like polished brass ;
but in the winding the natural oil from your
hands will coat the wood evenly, and it may not
occur to you that the rod is in bad shape for
varnishing.

At best bethabara will not absorb much var-
nish; therefore, it is essential that the varnish
shall dry rapidly and not crawl, or solidify in
uneven patches, leaving other spots dry. If
you varnish the rod on a warm day, turning
it round now and then, so that it will dry evenly
in the open air, it will be satisfactory; but if
circumstances force you to varnish it hurriedly

88 FISHING TACKLE

and then hang it up close to a wall, it may dry
on one side, while on the other, nearest the wall,
the varnish may crawl. This may happen if the
temperature is low or the air damp. .

When the windings are finished and given
two coats of shellac, to preserve the color of
the silk, the exposed wood may be rubbed with
a strip of linen or silk until most of the oil
from your hands has been removed. After this,
do not touch the wood with your hands until
after the rod has been varnished. Rub the
wood lightly, else friction will damage the wind-
ings.

Possibly you may forget how old your var-
nish is, or neglect to have the rod and the var-
nish warm, or the day selected may turn cold,
with the result that the varnish may dry uneven-
ly, remain tacky, or even crawl in places. Old
coach varnish may be thinned by adding a little
turpentine, then let it stand for a while before
using. It is better, however, to buy fresh var-
nish, particularly as a small bottle or can will
furnish enough for several rods. Always ap-
ply varnish while warm.

If the varnish does crawl, or fail to dry after
several days' time, so that all of your work
seems to have been wasted, take a narrow
strip of canvas, which has a rough surface and

CLEANING AND VARNISHING 89

will not shed much lint while you are rubbing,
and wetting it slightly with crude oil, work the
strip between the windings as previously des-
cribed, but never lengthwise of the joint. Very
little pressure is needed, for your object will be
to warm the sticky varnish through friction,
spread it evenly and bind it, while removing
a little from the surface. Passing the palm
of the hand over the joint occasionally will en-
able you to tell when the work is finished, which
will be when the tacky surface gives way to one
that is smooth and fairly hard. Any doubt
will be dispelled if you will rub the joint length-
wise very lightly with a piece of linen or silk.
If this sticks in places, those spots must be
polished.

Let the rod stand for a day, then pass the
dry silk strip over it lightly, and if all parts
are hard, polish with this strip. The high
gloss will be gone, but if a thin coat of varnish
is put on in a few days, this should bring out
all of the beauty of the grain and the wind-
ings, and your rod, which seemed to be ruined,
will be little the worse for this heroic — and
perhaps unworkmanlike — ^treatment. We are
not all experts, and few of those who love to
"tinker at rod building" have just the right
sort of workshops and tools, but a little horse

40 FISHING TACKLE

sense has saved more valuable property than a
fishing rod.

Now and then the claim is made that vase-
line is a preservative that should be used on
the rod before it is put away for the winter.
Vaseline would very likely keep out damp-
ness, but it is very penetrating, and if there are
cracks in the varnish, the vaseline would work
into them, and discolor windings as well. It
seems to me that crude petroleum is a better
preservative, but if it is used it should be
completely removed before varnishing. Ver-
digris will form on brass coated with vase-
line, and the same thing applies, though in a
lesser degree, to German silver, hence this seems
to me to be another argument against the use
or vaseline on rods.

Lard oil should be better. I have never used
It to prevent fishing rod ferrules from sticking,
but have found it peculiarly effective when ap-
plied to the friction joints of canoe paddles and
tent poles, and see no reason why it should
not work well on fishing rods. It is a clean
oil, and a very little of it goes a long way.
Common lubricating oil, and vaseline as well,
pick up grit, and the combination is likely to
injure ferrules. All of the lubricating that a
good ferrule needs is to wipe it clean, then rub
it over you^ hair if it fits too snugly.

CHAPTER V

REELS AND THEIR CARE

GENERALLY speaking, there arc but
two kinds of reel used in fresh water
fishing: (i) the single>action reel for
fly-rods, and (2) the multiplying reel for bait

(Courltsy of Wm. Mills & Son.)
Fig. I.— Rubber and Gennan Silver Single Action Reel

FISHING TACKLE

(Courtesy of Wm. Mills & Son.)
Fig, a— Light -Click Reel

In fishing with the fly-rod the reel is em-
ployed mainly in playing a fish and in shorten-
ing line. In casting the fly or lure the actual
length of line is controlled by the left hand.
With it the line is pulled off the reel or stripped
in, to be held in one or mbre coils, and to be
wound up on the reel when ft is necessary to
shorten line. But when a fish is hooked the
reel comes into play when there is too much
line out to control it by rod manipulation alone.

This being true, there are only a few things
to consider in selecting a reel. It should bal-
ance nicely on the rod and be no larger than is
necessary to hold the line. Weight Is a mat-
ter each angler must decide for himself. One
prefers a fairly heavy reel, claiming that it
balances the rod; another selects a light reel

BEELS AND THEIR CARE 48

because it does not place too much weight be-
low the hand.

A single-action reel need not be expensive.
The parts should be well made and nicely fit-
ted, the click one that will not get out of order
quickly, and with a good strong spring. The
click must be just strong enough to prevent the
spool from turning when casts of ordinary
length are made without holding the line
with either hand. The reels illustrated in Figs.
I and 2 are typical of the moderate priced
reels used by trout fishermen. Three inches is
the diameter of most click reels on which thirty
yards of double tapered E line are used, and
they will carry the same length of D line if it
be wound on evenly. There is no need of a
drag on a fly reel.

The English reels are nearly all heavy affairs,
but they are beautifully made and compact.
Nearly all are so made that by removing one
screw the spool may be taken out, and instead
of the thin axle — ^which ruins any line left on it
for any length of time, — ^there is a drum of
good size. The dry-fly reel shown in Fig. 3
IS of this type. It is narrow but of goodly dia-
meter, and light, as the material is an aluminum
alloy — aluminum alone being too soft for reels.

Whatever reel is employed, do not leave a

FISHING TACKLE

(Courtesy of Wm. Mills & Son.)
Fig- 3- — Narrow Dry-Fly Reel,
good line on it, but wind the line on one of the
large "reels" used by tournament casters, il-
lustrated in Fig. 30; or wind it on to a line
dryer.

Salmon reels are merely larger editions of
trout reels, but as they are roughly handled at
times, strength is necessary, and for this pur-
pose a high-grade reel is the best.

The bait-casting reel is a machine in miniature
and is a wonderful one at that. It must be
light and small, run almost as freely as a top,
yet withstand tremendous strains and sudden

REELS AND THEIR CARE 45

shocks. Nowhere else are such perfect reels
made as in the United States, and Kentucky has
produced the two that are types. For nearly
a century the Milam and the Meek reels have
been on the market, and the first reels these
firms made are almost identical with the mod-
ern ones.

At a national tournament a few years ago,
the winner of the accuracy bait-casting event
used a tiny No. i reel that had been used by
the owner for many years, and by his father
before him; more than fifty years in all, surely.
And that reel is as good to-day as a new one
and differs from the present-day type only in

46 FISHING TACKLE

that it has a crank handle instead of a balanced
handle.

Fig. 5.— Meek No. z Reel Three- fourths Actual Sim.
One improvement that has been made in re-
cent years is in the use of spiral gears instead
of the old straight gears. Spiral gears mesh
more smoothly, and the wear is more uniform,
while greater strength is attained, as a greater
bearing surface between pinion and gear is had.
Another improvement is the screw-off cap over
each end of the axle. This makes it possible
to oil these main bearings without taking the
reel apart. Garnets are fitted in these hearings
if desired, insuring longer wear than is pos-
sible with the customary steel bearings.

A satisfactory £shing reel may be had for $5
or a little less, but it is good economy to pay $15
for a far better reel, and if you can afford the
very best, $25 to $30. Such a reel will out-
last your fishing days, and always be depend-

REELS AND THEIR CARE 47

able. The old-time free running reel has no
superior ; by " free running " is meant that there
is no graduated device for retarding the speed
of the spool. Free-spool reels are of another
class, in which there is a device to throw the
gears out of mesh during a cast, the handle re-
maining at rest, the gears engaging while the
line is being wound in. They are excellent reels,
but considerable practice is necessary to cast
without backlashing, as the spool-action is very
rapid.

Fig. 6.— Meek No. 3 Blue Grass Reel.
If you ask a manufacturer how to take one
of his reels apart for cleaning, he will probably
tell you not to attempt this at all, as only " one
skilled in the art," as inventors say, can adjust
a reel properly. This is of course true of some
reels in the hands of careless persons, but one
who possesses ordinary skill may easily take

48 FISHING TACKLE

apart, clean, oil, and reassemble a reel without
injuring it in the least. There is no other course
left open to one who happens to be far from
repair shops when his reel needs attention, and
the sooner he learns how to care for it himself,
the better off will he be.

If your reel has oil-caps, by removing these
and the handle, you can oil the end bearings, the
pinion, and the handle and gear-post without
disturbing the adjustment of the parts. This
is an immense advantage, but all bearings should
be cleaned before oiling.

In reels that have capped face plates this is
a simple matter, as the screws merely hold the
cap in place and exert uniform pressure on the
spindle ends, and one may take out the gear,
clean its post and teeth, the pinion and all bear-
ings, replace the cap by means of three or four
screws, none of which enter the pillars. All
bearings save one may be cleaned without dis-
turbing the adjustment of the frame. In order
to get at this one, the face plate of some but not
all reels must be removed and the spool taken
out. Some reels are easy to readjust because
the front plate is held by only one, or at most
four screws; but those that have a screw in
each one of the five pillars must be readjusted
with the utmost care, and patience is necessary,

REELS AND THEIR CARE 49

as you must set the screws, test it, and perhaps
repeat this two or three times before all is
well.

The cap screws should be turned down easily
and the spool tried, to see if there is any play
longitudinally. Some reels require a little play,
while others do not.

Before touching a screw try the spool and
ascertain how much play it has. Then lay your
watch in front of you, and holding the reel in the
left hand with the handle up, so that the handle
and gears will revolve horizontally, grasp the
handle with the thumb and first two fingers of
the right hand, the second finger on the handle-
knob, and spin the reel smartly as the second
hand of your watch passes a certain point, not-
ing how long it takes for the handle to lose all
motion. Try this three or four times until you
are certain that the spool will spin just so long
each time. If there is a line on the reel, tuck
its ends under with a toothpick, to prevent it
from striking the pillars and retarding the
spooL

In turning the cap screws down, test the spool
for play and speed, bearing in mind that since
cleaning and oiling all bearings it should spin
several seconds longer than when foul with
gummed oil — that is, unless you have put too

^

50 FISHING TACKLE

much oil on gear and pinion, in which case the
reel may be out of commission until the sur-
plus oil is removed. If ten seconds was the
time of spinning while dirty, fourteen or fifteen
seconds should be about right for the clean
spool, and if it falls below this, tighten the
screws a trifle more and try again for time and
play. If all screws are tightened uniformly,
a few trials will show you when to stop, and if
these directions are religiously followed, the
reel should be in perfect order.

It is important that a good screw-driver and
the best reel oil be used. It is also advisable
to examine all bearings, after cleaning, with a
microscope, at the same time removing all parti-
cles of grit or dust with the end of a toothpick.
The pinion in a good reel is made from tool
steel, and the gear from bronze or hard brass,
but a tiny speck of grit is a bad thing for either
one.

All tests should be made while the spool of
the reel is filled with the line that you are ac-
customed to using in fishing practice. Exerting
equal force, the spool will spin one-fourth to
one-third longer when filled with line than
when empty.

In these remarks quadruple multiplying reels
are referred to, for the reason that nearly all of

REELS AND THEIR CARE 51

the small fishing and all of the tournament
reels are geared thus. No properly made quad-
ruple reel has four times as many teeth in the
gear as In the pinion. Generally there are three
or four teeth less in the gear, the number de-
pending largely on the diameter decided on for
that wheel as the best when the diameter of
plates, length of spool and handle, and general
purpose of reel are taken into consideration.
One good reason for the odd number of teeth
in the large gear is that every tooth in the pinion
bears on every one In the gear, always chang-
ing, and in this way the wear is equalized and
the meshing is perfect at all points in every
revolution.

Every tooth added to the large gear de-
creases the strength and winding power of the
mechanism, and the logical conclusion Is that
the double multiplier Is best for reels of large
size, where power is preferred to speed in de-
livering and recovering line. This is Illustrated
in eighty-yard quadruple reels used for bass
fishing and tournament casting. The spool of
the fishing reel may be i^ Inches In length and
^^ inches in diameter, with a balance handle
2J4 or 2j4 Inches in length. The spool of the
tournament reel may be i^ Inches long, 1%
inches In diameter, very thin and light, and the

52 FISHING TACKLE

handle only i}i inches long. The latter will
spool thin line beautifully and deliver it rapidly,
but if used in fishing it will recover line very
slowly when a two-pound bass is tugging at the
hook, the small spool and the short handle fur-
nishing very little leverage.

On the other hand, the fishing reel will
handle large bass easily, but when used in
tournament casting, it will be found that the
handle is too long and the spool too narrow and
deep for nice, even spooling and delivery. The
reel that is a modification of both types re-
ferred to will give fair satisfaction at the
tournament and on the lake, and for the man of
one outfit this is the reel to own.

Some anglers prefer to let German silver
reels tarnish — as they will in fresh water im-
pregnated with mineral substances, and from
contact with one's hands — ^but others do not. It
is true that this tarnishing takes the place of the
glitter of the freshly buffed reel, although Ger-
man silver glistens far less than the nickle of
cheap reels; but it is one thing to let the reel
tarnish slightly, and quite another to permit
dust and gummed oil to accumulate until the use-
fulness of the reel is affected. The reel should
be cleaned thoroughly at least once each sea-
son, preferably in the winter.

REELS AND THEIR CARE 53

The easiest way to polish the frame is with
a buffer, but chamois skin and tripoli will re-
move all harmful dirt from smooth surfaces,
while the angles may be reached by folding the
leather over a sliver of soft pine and rubbing
with this. The bearings must not be touched
with any abrasive or polishing substance. They
should be cleaned thoroughly with benzine — ^but
do not light your pipe during this operation.
An old soft toothbrush and benzine should be
used on pinion, gear, and all bearings, and in
order to be sure that the parts are cleared from
gummed oil, examine them when they are dry
under a microscope.

This inspection should be minute. A good
reel is to a certain extent a delicate machine,
and although you may not remember it, it may
be that you dropped rod and reel at some time
last summer while fishing and damaged the
gears. Perhaps you have wondered why its
song has a harsh note, but still it seems to be all
right. If any of the bearings show wear in
places where they should be smooth, or if the
teeth of pinion or gear have any rough spots —
under the glass these teeth resemble those in
a huge saw — send the reel post haste to its
maker. He alone can put it to rights. Other-
wise, when all the parts are absolutely clean,

54 FISHING TACKLE

put the reel together again, using the second
hand of your watch to determine its correct ad-
justment, as previously described. Every reel
should be kept in a chamois bag or in one of
the chamois-lined sole leather cases. Then put
it away in the tackle-box, making a mental note
to oil it slightly the night before you go away
on your first fishing trip next spring.

Beginners may fail to notice an important
point in connection with the timing of the reel
for adjustment by the watch. The present-day
quadruple multiplying reels — ^most of them, at
least — will spin longer when the spool is hori-
zontal than otherwise, but this is not a fair
test, as in casting with the short rod the hand
is turned to the left — (i) to insure the line
running through the guides and top without
fouling the rod; and (2) because there is less
friction on the bearings of the reel when it is
held handle up (Fig. 7). In timing his reel the
novice will naturally turn the balance handle
from left to right, and if it spins say twenty-
one seconds, he will put that down as its time
and never stop to consider the fact that he is
turning it backward, or in the direction the
handle turns when the spool is taking up the
line — where smoothness and speed do not so
much count.

1 ^

ASTOR, '- ^ -^
TILDEN FOUND^OON^

REELS AND THEIR CARE 55

Another thing: if his reel has spiral gears,
as many of the best reels have, its spool may
not revolve so freely in recovering as in deliver-
ing, therefore one will not gain a fair knowl-
edge of its capabilities for casting unless he
spins it backward. This is more difficult to do
with thumb and finger because of the form of
the balance handle.

A better plan, and one giving more accurate
results is this: Take a piece of small cord and
wax one end. Lay this on the spindle of the
spool and wind over it, just as you would with
a casting line, always winding a given length of
cord, say twelve inches. Hold the reel firmly
in one hand, handle at the top, and when the
second hand of your watch is over a given
point, pull the cord evenly with the other hand
until it comes away from the spindle — ^just as a
boy spins a top. Pull steadily, exerting not much
more force than would the half-ounce weight
in a cast. Your reel will spin as it does in cast-
ing, and the method insures steadiness and
uniform results, as you will find after a few
trials.

If the reel is made of hard rubber with bronze
or brass parts, on taking it apart you may find
verdigris under and in the teeth of the gear,
and this, as well as the gummed oil, must be

m FISHING TACKLE

cleared out. A good reel is a constant source
of pride to its owner, if he appreciates it, and
while few other mechanical " contrivances " are
called upon to and do withstand so many severe
shocks and strains, a little grit in its vitals
will cause as much trouble to it as a small peb-
ble in your shoe will to you. Neither one is
fatal, but may have a bad effect'in time.

The gears and pinions of various reels differ
slightly. Some mesh closely, the leaves of the
pinion fitting rather tightly in the teeth of the
gear. These require rather thin oil, but do
not use any of the thin bicycle oils, some of
which contain substances of no value to reels.
Ask your dealer for the best reel oil, or obtain
a bottle of oil from a watchmaker. If properly
used, an ounce of reel oil will last several sea-
sons. It must be applied sparingly, and only
on clean parts. Generally, but not invariably,
the larger the reel the heavier may the oil be,
and some salt water reels work well if petro-
leum jelly or graphite is applied to the gears,
though nothing but the best oil should be put
on smooth bearings.

If, when the oil is applied, the reel seems to
be jammed and will not spin freely, it is a good
sign that the gears are gummed up, or that too
much or too heavy oil has been applied. Clean

REELS AND THEIR CARE 57

thoroughly and try again with less oil. It is
possible to completely clog the mechanism of
a fine reel with oil, and reels are often sent
back to their makers as " no good," when the
only fault is that too much oil has been put
in them. In a quadruple reel of high grade,
whose gears mesh closely, a drop too much
may completely stop the turning of the parts.

CHAPTER VI

CORK DRUMS FOR REELS

IT is customary for anglers to use a reel
larger than they need, and to fill the spool
one-third to one-half full of old or com-
mon line, then wind on the line that is to be
used in fishing. When it is ready to use, the
spool is two-thirds or three-fourths filled, en-
abling one to thumb it more readily, and as its
size increases through wetting, one turn of the
spool releases or recovers much more line
than if the winding of the good line were begun
on the empty spool.

There are some objections to this plan, par-
ticularly as applied to the small long-spool
reels used in bait-casting contests and in fishing.
If the dummy is composed of coarse line, it is
difficult to spool it evenly, leaving an uneven
surface on which the fine casting line must be
wound. If common thread is used for a dum-
my, it is difficulty to wind it so that It will be
hard and firm. This must be done in order to
attain the best results, as a spongy foundation
for the gossamer-like casting line will increase

58

i 9

ill

■2 tc g
o i *r

111

SOS

1 i ■
PUd

^^- - ii^ w-iRY

ASTOR, LHi*€>X

CORK DRUMS FOR REELS 59

the tendency toward backlashing, and it will lose
its cylindrical form after repeated casting,
causing one's thumb to press hard at one place
and skip at another. After use the silk casting
line must be wound on a dryer or coiled. on a
smooth surface until thoroughly dry, and as
such a line is generally one hundred yards or
more in length, it is a nuisance to take off the
dummy, too, but as it gets wet and will not
dry on the reel, off it comes or it would ruin
the silk line.

If you use a long-spool reel in casting, with
a line thinner thai^ fif size, you will need a dum-
my i or ij/^ inches in diameter. A good plan
is to fit cork disks on the spool. These can be
obtained at cork stores. Either vaseline bot-
tle corks or rod grasp corks will serve. Select
four perfect corks, and with an old ferrule
cut holes through the exact center of each one,
concaving the ends of two, so that they will
fit the convex spool ends. Take the spool out
of the reel while fitting corks. Split all of the
corks from the central holes to t'he rim, using
a very thin sharp knife blade.

Obviously the hole in each cork must be a
trifle larger than the spindle of the spool, over
which the end corks are to be fitted first. After
fitting the end corks, slip the third one into
place, and while there is room, coat each cork

60 FISHING TACKLE

very slightly with shellac. Split the fourth cork
so that it will fill the remaining space snugly
and slip it on, shellacking the slit in each cork
and turning all so that no two slits come op-
posite each other. Wind a bit of thread over
all to hold them in place until dry, then remove
the thread and shave off all uneven places.

Srtioothing the corks to perfect form should
be done in a lathe with a fine file, but if a lathe
is not at hand, assemble the reel and fasten it
lightly in a vise, the jaws of which are covered
with cloth to protect the reel-yoke. Turn the
handle with one hand and hold the file with
the other, being careful that it does not touch
the ends of the spool. Exert the least possible
pressure in grinding the cork drum to perfect
form, blowing the cork dust away from the
reel frequently.

Measure the diameter of the drum, and when
it is correct, wind the entire drum with thread,
being as careful as if you were winding a fine
rod. Pull both ends of the thread under with
a separate loop, and leave the second one to tie
the casting line to. Coat this winding twice
with shellac, which will bind it and preserve the
shape of the drum. Otherwise it may bulge
in places. When the shellac is dry, clean the
reel and wind the casting line on it. This should

CORK DRUMS FOR REELS 61

fill the spool three-fourths, allowing for a slight
increase when the line is wet. The cork being
extremely light, the weight of the wet line is
placed further away from the axis of the spool,
giving the reel increased efficiency in casting.

For a reel the diameter of which Is two
inches and the length of the spool i ^ inches,
the cork dummy should be i or i 1/16 inches
in diameter for a tournament line, and this
should be sufficient for the fishing reel, which
requires less diameter of wound line than does
the tournament line.

The simplest way to determine the diameter
for the cork dummy is this : wind the fine casting
line on the bare spindle, and on this wind com-
mon thread until the spool is three-fourtha
filled. Cut the thread and remove it from the
reel; remove the casting line and replace the
thread on the reel. Measure its mean dia-
meter, which will be correct for the dummy.

Generally speaking, one can safely place
more line on a tournament than on a fishing reel,
as he watches the line carefully while spooling
it in tournament work, but may not do so while
playing a fish, and if he is careless the line may
foul the pillars and a sudden jerk by the fish
may break the line.

If there are to be changes in lines, the dia-

62 FISHING TACKLE

meter of the cork should be reduced slightly,
and a dummy line employed to make up the re-
required diameter when the reel is full. The
cork is firm and even but not hard, and the de-
vice is a useful one. Nearly all tournament
casters employ cork dummies, and a few reels
have been made with metal drums, which are
of course more substantial than cork. It is a
pity that more standard reels are not made
with metal drums.

CHAPTER VII

LEADERS, GUT, AND EYED FLIES

THE production of silkworm gut has not
kept pace with the demand, which has
increased enormously during the last
quarter century.

The best silkworm gut comes from Spain,
the market being practically controlled by
British firms. The high price of gut has created
a demand for substitutes, but while there are
several of these, as a general thing they are un-
satisfactory. There is no doubt that a good
substitute will be produced in time, but in order
to be a success it must be less flabby and soft,
when wet, than the present substitutes. These
are very strong, but after a little soaking they
become stringy and soft, and are of little value
for fly casting. The one advantage they pos-
sess is that they are made without knots. A
tapered leader can be made of this stuff with
only two or three knots.

As silkworm gut is drawn, the larger or sal-

64 FISHING TACKLE

mon sizes average nine or ten inches in length,
while the bass sizes are twelve to fourteen inches
long, and the trout sizes up to eighteen or
twenty inches. With every strand there is con-
siderable waste. They are put up lOO in a
hank, and are generally sold by the trade in
this shape, though retailers sometimes put them
up in lots of twenty-five, so that anglers who
make their own leaders can obtain an assort-
ment of three or four sizes — enough to make
several tapered leaders — ^without purchasing
several hanks of lOO strands each.

In recent years the demand for bleached
and stained gut has decreased steadily. Per-
haps gut was at first bleached because in that
shape it shows to better advantage than the
natural article. The staining was for the pur-
pose of rendering it less conspicuous in the
water, but experience has proved that neutral
colors are not of so much importance as they
were at one time popularly believed to be;
witness the various lines, in which white and
black and showy colors are all successfully used
in taking fish.

Bleaching injures the gut. Staining does or
does not; it depends on the agent employed.
Soaking in cold tea, rubbing with dock leaves,
and a number of other harmless things have

LEADERS, GUT, EYED FLIES 65

long been used In dulling the gloss of new gut
without injuring it.

The names given the various sizes of Spanish
silkworm gut, and their calibers, in thousandths
of an inch, follow:

Royal 020 022

Imperial 019 .020

Marana II oi6 017

Padron 1 014 016

Padron II 013 015

Regular 013 014

Drawn gut on and less.

Leaders commonly used for trout fishing are
not expensive, as they are small in size and
composed of the longest strands; but tapered
leaders, now used for dry-fly fishing, cost more.
The tapered salmon leaders, which are made up
from three or four of the heaviest sizes of
gut, retail at $3 to $6 each. In a nine-foot
leader of this sort there are many short strands,
and these short strands must be selected with the
greatest care, because so many more of them
are imperfect than in the smaller sizes.

Salmon leaders are sometimes made with
the upper third of three strands of small gut,
twisted hard; the middle of two strands,
twisted; and the point of medium weight single
gut. In the twisted gut the ends are sometimes
knotted separately, or the strands are spliced,
while the double gut strands are knotted in

66 FISHING TACKLE

pairs. Nice tapers are obtained in this way, but
after soaking the twisted gut swells more than
the single gut, and is not so smooth and wiry,
though strong.

In olden times horsehair leaders were much
used, and are still employed to some extent in
England. The hairs from the tail of a gray
stallion were said to be the best, while those
from a mare's tail were regarded as useless.

In tournament fly-casting for distance the
finest grade leaders are used, mainly in salmon
sizes. In the salmon events combination
leaders are allowed, but for all single-hand rods
the leaders must be of single gut. The general
rule observed in the United States is that every
tournament leader must be at least six feet in
length, and it cannot exceed the length of the
rod used by more than two feet. In Australia,
where tournament casting is practiced by an
enthusiastic group of Sydney trout fishermen,
leaders of twenty and thirty feet are used, and
with their strong, dry winds, this in part ac-
counts for the great distances they have ac-
complished in casting with heavy single-hand
rods.

Formerly leaders of fifteen and eighteen feet
were used here in distance casting, but since
the casters have all adopted lines with very long

LEADERS, GUT, EYED FLIES 67

tapers, leaders average rather less than the
length of the rods. Those used with all rods
are much alike. They taper from the heaviest
salmon size down to heavy trout size, and are
selected with great care, since to whip off a fly
means the loss of that cast and an important
part of the time alloted the caster. For this use
it IS better to use a heavy level leader than to
have the point too fine. In the accuracy wet-
fly contests, in which a short leader is an ad-
vantage, the minimum limit of six feet is stand-
ard. In the dry-fly accuracy events medium
to light weight leaders are used, generally just
over six feet in length, and tapered.

The new dry-fly leaders — for fishing — are
generally 7J/2 feet long; tapered from medium
to very fine trout gut, with one loop, at the line
end. As one fly only is employed in this branch
of trout fishing, the dropper loops tied in wet-
fly leaders are objectionable.

The old-time leaders were three, six, and nine
feet in length. But in place of the six and
seven ounce rods used with them, four-and-
three-quarter ounce tournament rods nine feet
in length are now much used in dry-fly fishing.
These rods are rather stiff and very powerful,
hence in order to develop the best qualities of
the rod, it Is necessary to use a heavy double

i

68 FISHING TACKLE

tapered line. Size F, the old favorite, is giving
way to E, and the D size is also much used.

In these lines the taper is short, 12 feet or
less. Thus it will be understood that a 9-foot
taper and a 7^4 -foot leader, propelled by a
fairly heavy line on a stiff rod, may be depend-
ed on in all sorts of weather for accurate casts
of fifteen to twenty-five feet. And for long
casts this equipment is ideal.

While these rods are excellent for fishing on
large streams, on rocky and overgrown woods
brooks, three, two, and even 15^ ounce rods
of 7 to 8 J^ feet are favorites with many anglers.
Even with these little rods fairly heavy lines
are the rule, the short tapers being fine at the
ends, so that small 4^- and 6-foot leaders
can be handled accurately at short range.

In working out with the dry-fly — ^which
must be done without touching tbe water in
front — it is much more difficult to handle rod
and line in places that are overhung with trees
than in wet-fly casting, hence the utility of the
heavy line, short taper, and short leader.

It is good fun to make up your own leaders
on winter nights. But even if you do not do
this, it is economical to repair those that have
been used, and put them in good condition for
the coming season. Soak them well; it is a

LEADERS, GUT, EYED FLIES 69

good plan to put all leaders to be repaired in
a tray of water, taking out each one as needed.
Examine the loop, and if it is frayed or broken,
cut it off and tie a new one. This is made by
doubling the gut, passing the single loop thus
formed around the doubled strands and under
the double loop, then pulling taut. Fig. 9 shows

Fig. 9. — ^Forming the Leader Loop,
this, but bear in mind that twisting the strands
will result in a bad knot. Cut the short end
close to the knot. It will not pull out.

Make the loop short, and attach end of line
to leader as shown in Fig. 10. This is a

Fig. 10.— Attaching End of Line to Leader

simple but very secure fastening, and one which
may be untied without difficulty or injury to
the line. The end of line may be looped back.

70 FISHING TACKLE

so that it may be pulled out readily, but this
makes a clumsy knot, and is unnecessary. An-
other method that is followed by some anglers
is to attach a short loop of heavy gut to the
end of the line, so that the leader can be looped
over this. It is satisfactory if the gut loop
be soaked before strain is put on it, and also
provided the loop be very firmly made fast.
It should be soaked thoroughly, then whipped
on with heavily waxed silk under considerable
tension, so that it cannot pull out.

Examine all knots in the leader, and if the
gut be broken next to one of them — as fre-
quently happens — cut it and tie a new knot.
This may at first seem to be a difficult matter,
but if you will practice with the ends of a piece
of cord large enough to give you a clear idea
how the thing is done, it will be easy to master.
Many knots are in common use, but with most
of them the ends of the gut stick out parallel
with the strands, and are rough and untidy. In
the knot given in Fig. 1 1 the ends stand out at
right angles to the strands, and may be clipped
off close to the knot, as they cannot pull out.
The ends of the gut are overlapped slightly,
then one end is turned twice around the other
strand and secured between the two. Reverse
ends and tie the second part of the knot in the

LEADERS, GUT, EYED FLIES 71

-^^^

Fig. II. — Method of Tying a Leader Knot.

same way. When pulled taut the ends may be
cut off close.

Accidental knots can usually be worked out
and the gut straightened, but if not, replace
that strand with a new one.

When the new leader Is finished, or the old
one repaired, suspend It from a brad driven In
a picture moulding, and attach a weight to the
lower end, to stretch it slightly while it is dry-
ing. A dipsy sinker Is excellent for this pur-
pose. When dry take the leader down, coil it
and put it away in a dry, dark place, with a tag
attached, giving Its length and size. Gut
should never be kept in a strong light.

Finally, swear off using snelled flies and

72 FISHING TACKLE

stock up on eyed flies instead. These are better
in every way, but one advantage alone is suffi-
cient — you have no snells to soak in changing
flies. Besides, the snells are a nuisance in every
way. It is almost impossible to keep the fly-
book in which they are kept tidy, and it is bulky
and awkward to handle on the stream. The
neat little aluminum fly-boxes (Figs. 12 and 13)

Fig. 12.— Eyed Fly-Box with Clips.

LEADERS, GUT, EYED FLIES 73

are compact, roomy, and on opening one you
see at a glance all its contents. And every fly
is securely fastened in its proper place.

If it is desired to use eyed wet flies — ^two or
more — these are attached to the leader with
short tippets, kept in the leader soak-box when
not in use.

Whether the eyed fly is attached to point of
leader or to a tippet, the Turle knot (Fig. 14)

Fig. 14,— The Turle Knot.

Is one of the simplest and best. Pass the gut
through the eye of hook and tie a slip knot
with a loop large enough to go over the fly
without injuring it. Pull the loop tight over
head of fly and clip end close.

For cutting gut, removing knots, and hand-

Fig. 15. — Gut Clipper and Tweezer

ling small flies, the combination clipper and
tweezer (Fig. 15) is highly recommended.
With ordinary scissors it is difiicult to clip close

74 FISHING TACKLE

to a knot, but with this clipper the work is
neatly done.

In recent years the fishing tackle makers of
Great Britain have adopted a new system of
numbering hooks. This is called the new scale.
Americans, however, adhere to the old system,
known as the Redditch scale. Both systems
are shown in Fig. i6, the lower figures giving
the old or Redditch scale, in common use in
the United States, while the upper figures show
the new scale.

At the close of the fishing season, put away
the fly-book or box in a moth-proof receptacle.
A red cedar box is the safest place, but a metal
box that has a tight-fitting cover will answer.
As an additional precaution, put camphor balls
or crystals with the flies, but do not sprinkle any
of the latter over them, for this may serve to
rust the hooks. Still, it is not safe to leave fly-
book or box closed, even though camphor is
present. Instead, leave it open, so that the
fumes of the camphor will penetrate between
all leaves. The best plan is to secure a small
atomizer, put gasoline in it, and spray all of the
flies before putting them away for the season.
This, with the camphor, will keep away moths,
and destroy any eggs that may already be
among the flies.

LEADERS, GUT, EYED FLIES 75

Ctlttt

f

15

f

r

10

f« t'

L)U

(

IB

>•

u

17 16 IS H 19 12 n 10 9 8 7 • 8

f

39

Fig. i6. — ^Lower Figures Give the Numbers in the Red-
ditch Scale. Upper Figures, the New Scale.

76 FISHING TACKLE

Repeat this at least once during the winter,
in order to be on the safe side. If you ever
open your fly-book on a cold night — just to re-
new acquaintance with old friends — and find
your favorite flies a mass of fluff, you will not
need a second warning. Where there are
moths the utmost care is necessary in protect-
ing flies.

CHAPTER VIII

ROD CASES AND FORMS

ON the use to which you will put your rod
depends the kind of protective covering
you will need. There are anglers who
will have nothing but a thin muslin cover, but
something better is needed for rods that are to
be carried far.

The makers of the best fly-rods supply alum-
inum or bamboo tubes with screw caps for the
tips, this tube and the middle and butt joint go-
ing into a canvas case, so that the stifl tube
protects the two other parts when all are bound
with the tie-tapes of the cover. The wood
form is the most common type, and these are
cheap. Aluminum tubes with screw caps are
suitable for either fly or bait rods. Aluminum
tubing of almost any desired size is obtain-
able from the supply companies, at 20 to
50 cents per foot, and fiber tubing of similar
sizes can be had from some hardwareman at
about the same prices. Both fiber and alum-
inum tubes are made in sizes up to about two

17

78 FISHING TACKLE

inches. For long rods a tube of some sort is
very handy. It can be fitted with corks, or with
a screw cap on one end, and in a case of this
sort a rod is safe from hard knocks.

Tip cases are sometimes made to order by
houses that supply mailing tubes. The meth-
od of winding the strips of strawboard spir-
ally makes these tubes tough and strong, and if
the walls are thick, the ends corked and the tube
supplied with a canvas case, the rod will be well
protected. I have seen these tubes as small as
one inch in diameter, for long tips. Sometimes
they are covered with leather. They are fre-
quently made thus for bait-casting rods which
have separate handgrasps, the grasps to be car-
ried in a pocket or tackle case.

A very good plan is to groove a piece of
white pine so that the tips of the rod will lie
below the surface, the grooves being enlarged
to let the guides go underneath, then inclose
this form in a canvas case with the butt and
joint, the whole rod being fairly well protected.
Choose a piece an inch thick and about 2 inches
wide.

Still another way is to employ a canvas case
of the form illustrated in Figs. 17 and 18. The
upper end is bound with braid or is hemmed,
the lower edge turned over and sewed length-

BOD CASES AND FORMS 79

r-rr-vii-WT!> 4»«>w4 «•«•««-««

9V^ •.a>««r<r««« A«

' iI.tJJ. ' .. ' . ' WJUJJ

1

1

1

,

•fiMtn*

1 I r

Figs. 17 and i8. — Canvas Case for Rods.

wise and three tapes attached to the back. This
leaves pockets for the butt, the joint and the
two tips. One of the tip pockets is made large
enough to admit a piece of wood a half-inch
square and of the same length as the tips.
Round off its corners and it will not injure the
tip. When the rod is taken out of the case this
piece of wood will remain to protect the extra
tip, which might otherwise be broken.

CHAPTER IX

GENERAL HINTS

THE creel is usually associated with trout
fishing, when, as a matter of fact, it is
one of the handiest things the fisher has
fallen heir to for all sorts of fishing in which
wading or walking is the rule — fishing from a
boat, of course, calling for another sort of kit.
But there are all sorts of creels.

The best one for all-round use is the long,
thin creel. It is no more trouble to carry than
one of the short, thick kind; in fact, it is less
likely to catch on briers, trees, and wire fences
as one walks along a stream. If you will im-
prove it to suit your own needs, it will be still
more useful. There is space enough in it for a
small kit, lunch, and any ordinary number of
fish you may catch before noon. But if lunch,
fly-box, soak-box, and other articles are all
jumbled together in it, it is awkward to put
your fish in with them. Remedy this by putting

a partition in the creel. Some anglers divide

80

PUi.^. > .,

..RY

. V

ASTOR, L
TILDBN FO.i\'D^. ■ lONf,

GENERAL HINTS 81

the creel with a piece of fiber or a strip of can-
vas laced to the bottom and ends ; others use in-
sulated wires. Whatever is put in should be
immune from damage when the creel is washed
out.

If the partition is close to the back of the
basket, and extends nearly to the top, this will
give you ample space for fly-book, soak-box,
and package of lunch. The larger space, in the
front of the creel, will then be clear for the fish
you catch. The bottom being lower at the
front, the water that enters with your catch
will drain off without wetting your lunch. With
this arrangement every article " stays put."

In my creel I carry a landing-net which col-
lapses, and thi^ reduces the outfit to two parts
to be carried — rod arid cir^el. The landing net
referred to has a bronze hoop about a foot in
diameter — I cut mine down to nine inches. It
may be extended or contracted like a spiral
clock spring. When closed or open the hoop is
clamped rigidly by means of a set-screw. The
handle is a short piece of bamboo. In the end
of this I put a piece of rawhide four inches
long, securing it with a cork shellacked and
driven in. The net is of ample size. When
closed, the net is wound around the hoop, and
in this shape the device is about five inches wide

82 FISHING TACKLE

by eleven inches in length. It occupies little
space in the back of the creel.

The rawhide strap has a slit ending in an
eyelet. On the web shoulder-strap of the creel
a metal button is sewed. When the creel is in
place this button is just over the left shoulder.
The strap is buttoned on and the landing net
rests behind the left shoulder. When the net
is wanted the strap is within reach of either
hand. It is next to impossible to lose a landing
net secured in this fashion. It is not in the
way of either hand while one is fishing, and
when wanted it may be detached in an instant
without any fumbling.

When one is wading a stream there is always
the possibility that he may slip and fall in swift
water. The seriousness of such an accident de-
pends largely on the character of the water and
the shore immediately below him and on the
clothing and equipment. It being second nature
for an angler to cling to his rod through thick
and thin, if he is encased in heavy wading trou-
sers and brogues and carries a heavy creel se-
cured with straps and buckles, he may be in for
a very unpleasant ten minutes before he gets
his feet under him again on solid bottom. At
such a time it is foolhardly to think of swim-
ming. Instead, exert every effort to keep your

GENERAL HINTS 88

head upstream, and turning face down, so that
creel and landing net will drift behind you, stop
your progress with hands and feet, gain a foot-
hold, and rise slowly. If it is necessary to free
yourself of the creel, this is much more easily
done with one hand if the fastenings are snapsi
instead of buckles.

For use in dry-fly fishing I soldered a rather
large safety pin on one of the ten-cent oil tubes
sold everywhere by the trade. Filled with par-
affin oil, it is pinned on the creel shoulder strap
or secured on the leather strap that passes
through the back of the creel, where it cannot
be turned upside down.

As the screw cap of this tube is a clumsy
thing to handle, I improved it, too. A small
hole was drilled into its top, then a larger one
was bored through it from side to side, tapping
the first hole. A piece of silk line was pushed
down the hole in the top and out at one side,
a knot tied in the end and pulled into the cap.
The other end of the cord was tied into the
safety pin. As the cord will swivel, the cap
may be unscrewed without snarling it, and it
cannot be lost.

There are a number of handy devices to be
had in the trade for carrying paraffin oil and
other solutions intended to make flies float.

84 FISHING TACKLE

One of them Is a tiny atomizer which is cleaner
to use than any bottle or other receptacle, from
which oil may find its way into one's clothing,
there to remain " for keeps."

For floating a dressed line, use crude petro-
leum — a drop on a piece of flannel is sufficient
to float the heaviest tapered line. It is also ex-
cellent for cleaning the line occasionally. Use
it sparingly, and wipe the line dry afterward.

For wet weather purchase a fishing shirt.
These waterproof shirts, some of them, are big
and comfortable to wear, but may be folded
into a package not much more bulky than a
sou'wester. This head-piece is another handy
article to take along on day trips, unless you
wear a felt hat, which in itself is more or less
waterproof. I have been out all day in a down-
pour of rain many a time, but, clad in a sou'wes-
ter, fishing shirt, and wading trousers, was dry
and comfortable.

J

CHAPTER X

EQUIPMENT FOR FLY- AND BAIT-CASTING

SO many inquiries have come to me from
anglers in relation to fly- and bait-casting
practice that a few remarks on the sub-
ject may not be out of place here. Not only
are clubs being formed now and then, but small
groups of anglers in towns and villages wish to
practice under tournament conditions, in order
that they may compare their work with that of
other anglers who are enabled to watch expert
casters and obtain advice from them, and to
cast under their coaching as well. Club mem-
bers practice tournament casting in order that
they may become better anglers, and in group
or club practice the angler attains better re-
sults than he can possibly hope for in experi-
menting alone. The principal fault in practic-
ing alone is that he cannot see the faults that a
companion may readily point out^ and in this
way he may fall into errors very difiicult to cor-
rect. Friendly criticism Is of immense advan-
tage.

85

86 FISHING TACKLE

Tournament casting is largely a game, but it
teaches many useful things. For example, the
fly-fisher may supply himself with the finest
of tackle, but if he lacks coolness and self-con-
trol, he may lose his largest trout by striking
too hard or playing it roughly in his impatience :
but if he knows exactly how to cast his fly,
the strength of his leader, the limitations of
his rod, etc., the battle is half won when the
trout is hooked, for he feels confident and cool.

On the other hand, no matter how skillful he
may be in fly-fishing, let him take part for the
first time in a club contest, and his stream-ac-
quired skill will avail little, for he will find him-
self casting at a terrific rate, tying leader and
line in knots, and doing everything but nice
casting. Instead of laughing at him, however,
the other contestants will praise him for one
thing and offer a suggestion concerning another.
Following these, he will be surprised to find his
confidence returning, and the next time he tries
to cast he will feel less timid and forget that he
is being watched. Interest in the pastime will
increase, and presently he will find that his in-
terest in fishing is growing, and that it, too, pre-
sents allurements that he never thought of be-
fore.

There is not much that can be done during

EQUIPMENT 87

the winter in the way of fly-casting, but with
bait-casting the case is different. In places
where there is no water for summer practice,
there will be found suitable ground for practice
on the snow, and there many an otherwise dull
afternoon may be pleasantly passed, with the
bait or surf rod. The necessary equipment for
this is simple. Determine on the place to stand
in casting, which shauld be level with or slightly
above the surface of the snow, as a low box or a
couple of boards. Then with a tape measure
off 100 feet, and drive a stake into the ground;
to this attach the end of the tape, which, when
stretched out another lOO feet, will furnish an
accurate measure for all of your casts.

If two or more persons practice together,
one may stand beyond the lOO foot mark while
the others cast, and score for them, but if one
casts alone, pieces of board or paper placed at
125, 150, 175, and 200 feet, will serve as
marks by which he may determine his average
distance casting — if he does not care, while
reeling in, to walk up to the place where the
weight falls each time, and mark the exact dis-
tance.

The lawn is also a fair place to practice, but
casting on the snow is almost like practice on
the water, and in it the line becomes more or

88 FISHING TACKLE

less wet, so that It does not blister the thumb, as
casting on the lawn with a dry line is likely to
do until you have become accustomed to it.

It is well to keep an accurate score, be it good
or bad, for this will show your improvement.
Make one or two preliminary casts, then cast
five times, scoring each cast, and divide the total
by five, to obtain the average, marking the best
single cast in each string, if you like. Count
every cast made, marking those in which the
reel overruns with a star, so that, later on, you
can tell whether these backlashes come less fre-
quently, as they should with practice. Do not
try to excuse them, for backlashing is discour-
aging in bass casting, and in a tournament it
ruins averages. Besides, if you could make five
perfect casts at every trial, you would lose in-
terest in the pastime. As in fishing, its uncer-
tainty is one of its greatest charms.

There are plenty of mild days in winter when
two or three friends may practice comfortably
on the snow, and at this time uneven places that
cannot be utilized when the ground is bare are
admirable for casting. This is also a good
time to locate a place for next season's club or
group practice, and to make the necessary
equipment. If a stream or a pond is convenient,
locate a place for a platform, and even get the

EQUIPMENT

80

material for this in shape to be put into the
water when spring comes.

If for a club of twenty members, and spec-
tators are likely to number as many more when
contests are held, there should be two plat-
forms, arranged somewhat as follows (see
Fig. 19).

w iSM i W ^J^F^^MUl ■Ol*' *

sffoae i/N£.

Ji£NCH£S Ofi^ATSfOR l/fsm>R5.

Fig. 19. — Casting Platforms and Runways.

A represents a gangway at least twenty-five
feet in length. B is a platform large enough to
permit all of the club members to move about
freely while arranging rods and lines; and, of
course, interested visitors. It should be
strongly supported, to prevent a collapse under
the weight of a number of persons. C is a
gangway at least fifteen feet in length, and D
is the casting platform. This is placed at a dis-

90 FISHING TACKLE

tance from the main platform in order that a
contestant while casting shall be free from all
interference ; a cross wind will not carry his line
among his friends on the large platform, nor
endanger the rods in the rack E. The platform
will be close enough to the shore line for visi-
tors to watch the casting, but they cannot
bother the contestants nor endanger the rods
and outfits.

It is obvious that the location of the plat-
forms should be made with a view to taking ad-
vantage of the prevailing wind, the shore line
being parallel with its course, so that casting
may be with the wind. With platforms ar-
ranged as shown in Fig. 19, the marking line
may be stretched to right or left, obliquely to-
ward shore at either side, obliquely away from
shore, and in bait-casting, straight away from
shore. This latter direction would be unfavor-
able for fly-casting, as there would hardly be
clear space for the back cast.

The referee should be stationed on the
gangway C, and he should not permit any per-
son to be with him while a contestant is on the
small platform. This cannot well be less than
7x9 feet in size, and the regulation height is
eighteen inches above the water level. Cover
this platform with canvas, painted, to keep the

EQUIPMENT 91

lines clean and free from catching on splinters
and nails.

The rod rack E should be four feet high,
five feet long, and three feet wide, with notches
on the top bar, to prevent rods from being
blown over by the wind. Fig. 20 shows a con-
venient form for a rack.

Fig. 20. — Rod Rack.

H is the notched top bar, against which the
rods lean, while the bar M prevents them from
slipping. L is another cross-piece for rod
forms and cases. Nails may be driven in the
back bar of H, on which to hang coats and
hats. If the rack is nailed down on the shore
side of the platform, rods may rest against it
securely, with leaders in the water, ready for
casting.

Obviously the most reliable device with
which to measure fly and bait casts is a string of
floating boards with feet and inches marked on
them; but these are costly and unwieldy. Next
comes a line with floats attached, with the dis-
tances marked on them, or painted different

92 FISHING TACKLE

colors, to represent various distances. The
first device that suggests itself is an upright
disk with figures painted on it, but this is im-
practicable because lines would catch on it, and
the upright would need a counter-weight to pre-
vent it from toppling over.

There must be no angles, projections or
hooks for the lines to foul. The simplest line,
therefore, is one consisting of 225 or 250 feet
of 3-16 inch braided cord, such as tackle
dealers sell for $1.20 per 100 yards. A good
grade of curtain cord is nearly as serviceable.
Either one selected should be waterproof to
prevent shrinking, stretching, and decay. To
one end attach a harness snap-hook, to be snap-
ped into a ring on the forward edge of the cast-
ing platform. This hook must be put on last,
as will appear farther on. Now measure ofiE
sixty feet and tie a simple knot in the line.
Here let us digress for a moment.

Experience will prove that one who stands
on the platform, occupied with his casting, can-
not accurately determine how far he is casting a
fly if the marking line is equipped with floats
painted different colors. Neither can he see
figures on the floats, all of which look alike to
him, so fully occupied is he with his efforts to
lengthen his casts. Make one mark round, an-

EQUIPMENT 98

other square, and so on, and he will at once as-
sociate the different forms with their proper
distances. Egg-shaped floats are the most
practical form, but the caster is at a disadvan-
tage when they are employed, and if figures are
painted on them, these cannot be seen easily by
the judges when they are at a distance. There-
fore, if the marks are five feet apart, which is
close enough for a beginning, and for practice,
let the first one at 60 feet be a six-inch red disk,
with the figures painted in black on each side
(R, Fig.2i).

Bore the disk as shown, with a quarter-inch
bit, so that the knot in the line will rest in the
center. Dip two pine plugs in paint and drive
them into the hole, one on each side, the ends
flush with the disk. The knot in the line being
between their ends, the disk cannot slip on the
line, and the fresh paint will hold the plugs sol-
idly. No matter which side of the disk is up,
the figures may easily be seen by the judges,
even at a distance.

Tie another knot five feet from the center of
the first disk and attach a three-Inch egg-shaped
blue float, also plugged (S, Fig. 21). Five feet
farther on attach a white disk, marked 70. At
75 feet use a square white disk bored from cor-
ner to corner; at 80 a white disk; at 85 a blue

94 FISHING TACKLE

egg-shaped float; at 90 a white disk; at 95 an-
other blue float; and at 100 another square
white float (T, Fig. 21).

<^

^

<@>L

Fig. 21.— Floats for Marking Line.

This is about as far as the fly-caster can de-
termine the form of floats accurately, unless
they are somewhat widely separated. All that
is now necessary is to provide for accurate scor-
ing by the judges. White six-inch disks, there-
fore, will serve for the no, 120,130, 140, 160,
170, 180, and 190 foot marks, with large fig-
ures on each. At 125, 150, 175 and 200 feet
use square floats, for the bait-casters can see
these clearly. Paint the 125 and 175 foot
marks red, the 150 and 200 foot marks white.
Blue floats mark the odd distances throughout
the line, except at 75, 125, and 175 feet, as
noted above. No weights of any sort will be
needed, and if the corners and edges of all
marks be smoothed off, there will be no place
on the entire line that a casting line will foul.

These maVkers should all be saturated with

EQUIPMENT 95

linseed oil and dried before they are painted
and marked, to prevent them from warping
and checking. They should then be given two
coats of enamel, not paint, and if taken out of
the water after use, and stored in a dry place,
they will remain clean and bright, and the fig-
ures will show distinctly. Such a line will cost
about $5, and will last several seasons. White
pine is best for the large marks. It should be
one inch thick, and the square marks should be
12X12 inches. The egg-shaped floats can be
purchased from tackle dealers.

For tournament use, where more accurate
measurements are required, egg-shaped fishing
floats ij^ inches long can be used to mark
every foot between the five and ten-foot dis-
tances.

Galvanized cable-laid steel wire one-eighth
inch in diameter is better than braided cord.
Attach all marks to this wire with painted pine
plugs. Nails driven through markers and line
are unsatisfactory.

For accuracy bait-casting a target is best.
The simplest form may be made as follows:
Join two ix4-'inch boards in the center, as
shown by KK, NN, Fig. 22, and paint them
green. At their intersection attach a six-inch
water-tight tin can ( W) , painted red. Encir-

96 FISHING TACKLE

cling this, attach to the four bars a half-inch
water-tight gas-pipe ring (P) 30 inches in di-
ameter, painted white. Four staples may be
used in making it fast to the bars. Wire will
catch the lures. One foot from this circle
attach a similar one 4^ feet in diameter, and
so on until five are in place. As all parts of the
target should be just awash, with only the red
bullseye showing distinctly, regulating devices
are necessary. Four paint cans attached solidly
to the bars underneath will serve, provided they
do not leak. If the target floats too high, let
a little water into the cans. Screw-top cans,
are, for this reason, the handiest form. (See
X, Fig. 22.).

Fig. 22. Fig. 33.

Accuracy Bait-Casling Target.

Some clubs have platforms so arranged that
the accuracy target may be left afloat under the
platform from week to week. Two sides of

• "X --M-rtr

U w

ASTOR, Lb:NOX
TILDEN FOUNDATIONS

EQUIPMENT 97

the platform are guarded with stakes, while on
the ends there are hinged boards, made to turn
down and lock, to prevent the target from being
floated out and tampered with. It is a very
handy arrangement, as a target of this size is
awkward to carry to and from a storage place.

If the target must be carried any distance
from where it is to be used, it may be made in
sections (Fig. 23), and the segments put to-
gether by means of bolts through two of the
bars (Z). In this case all ends of the tubes
must be capped or plugged, to keep out water.
The buUseye and air-tanks may be attached in
various ways.

Under the target W (Fig. 22) attach a large
screw-eye, and to this make fast the center of
a suitable line. Attach snap-hooks to one part
of the line, say 60, 80, and 100 feet from cen-
ter of target. If the 60-foot hook is made fast
to the ring on the platform, the other end of the
line is run through a pulley-block on a float an-
chored about no feet from the platform, then
back to the platform, where it is belayed.
When all contestants have finished casting at
60 feet, the 60-foot snap is cast off, the 70-foot
snap attached to the ring on the platform, then,
by hauling on the other end of the line, the tar-
get is moved out to 70 feet, and so on up to

98 FISHING TACKLE

lOO feet, the longest distance employed in ac-
curacy casting. The line is in effect endless.

In casting at this target^ if the lure falls on
or within the 30-inch circle, the cast is scored
O, or perfect; if it falls within or on the next
circle i demerit, and so on. Casts outside the
largest circle are of course estimated. For ex-
ample, if one scores a total of 50 demerits in
fifteen casts — three at each distance, 60, 70, 80,
90, and 100 feet — divide it by 15, which gives
3 5/15. This, deducted from 100, gives a per-
centage of 96 10-15.

To waterproof braided or twisted lines
used on targets, mix equal parts by weights of
rosin, paraffin, beeswax, and linseed oil, stir
well over a slow fire, and while very hot im-
merse the line in the solution for ten minutes.
Wet a cloth, wring it out, and holding it in one
hand over the mixture, draw the line through
the cloth, stripping off all the surplus wax. Let
the line cool and dry for a day or two before
using.

CHAPTER XI

FLY-CASTING CONTESTS

THERE IS an old saying among the ang-
lers that it is easier to tell another per-
son how to cast properly than to do the
thing yourself. This, then, is my excuse for at-
tempting to write of tournament casting; for I
have practiced this amusement for less than fif-
teen years, and am just beginning to learn. But
so many persons have asked me to tell them
how I manage to cast lOO feet and more with
a five-ounce rod that it is possible some notes
on this subject may interest other anglers, too.

One of these inquirers told me — ^just what
many old anglers have admitted — that he has
fished for years, yet cannot cast more than sixty
feet. Generally anglers think their rods and
lines are not of the right sort, but it is human
nature to overlook the real reason for lack of
success in accomplishing the thing desired.

Practice casting with the fly-rod — or tourna-
ment casting, as It Is generally called, to dis-
tinguish It from fishing — Is good fun In season

99

88480'

100 FISHING TACKLE

and out, but In addition to this, it is a great edu-
cator. One may be a successful fisherman for
years without learning how to cast properly.
He may adopt a style that Is all wrong when it
Is just as easy to start right, as those do who
are coached by expert casters until they acquire
the knack of casting correctly. And after they
have practiced a bit, they step Into the trout
stream with confidence in their rods and in
themselves.

Tournament casting contests have been criti-
cized severely by men who have not gone In for
this sort of amusement on the ground that it Is
not fishing, and that the rods, reels, and lines
used are not such as are commonly used in fish-
ing. This is mainly true; but still it Is notice-
able that every veteran fisherman who takes up
casting becomes an enthusiast. A number of
these veterans have told me that they learned
more in one season on the platform than they
had acquired In all the years they had been
fishermen. And while I do not deny that many
of the tools used In casting are made for that
purpose, and are never taken to the stream, I
do claim that every tournament rod, reel, and
line can be used successfully In fishing in one
place or another In this great country of ours.

The tournament salmon rod is an excellent

FLY-CASTING CONTESTS 101

fishing rod; the heavy single-hand rod is used
for grilse fishing — and more and more men are
every year admitting that it is not necessary to
swing a great English two-handed rod over
salmon when they may be and are taken with
ordinary medium to light weight trout rods;
the five-ounce tournament rod is a favorite
trout rod for large streams everywhere; and
finally, the four-ounce tournament rod is one
of the best dry-fly trout fishing rods that has
been produced anywhere.

Aside from the practice in the company of
good fellows who can and do make special ef-
forts to assist one, to a fisherman the mingling
with congenial spirits Is an important part of
club practice and contests. You may live in a vil-
lage all your life and not know half the anglers
there, but let some one start a casting club, and
you will make the acquaintance of all the good
fishermen roundabout, and form many lasting
friendships at its meetings.

Take, for example, a tournament held in the
autumn — one in which representatives of sev-
eral casting clubs are contestants. On such oc-
casions men are present who have just returned
from fishing, and the discussions that arise
their opinions are worth listening to. In the
little visits that one has with them between con-

102 FISHING TACKLE

tests, he is sure to learn something new and
worth while in reference to fishing; for the ang-
ler, it must be conceded, never grows too old to
learn.

At every casting tournament that I have
attended — and I am sure that they were repre-
sentative ones — ^half of those present were not
contestants, but anglers who were drawn to
those affairs because of the excellent opportun-
ity offered to " talk fishing " with their fellows.
In other words, to pick up information; to ex-
change ideas; to arrange future excursions to
waters near or far. I know dozens of these
men, who never cast, yet who are regular at-
tendants, and mighty good judges of casting
and of rods and tackle as well. And they claim
that they learn something at every visit.

This defense of casting as a sport or game is
made because it is sometimes ridiculed by those
who have never considered the matter in the
proper light, yet who would probably admit
that, in order to become an expert game shot,
it is necessary for one to practice at the target.
You can hunt game with the rifle, and fish for
frout with the fly-rod, without practice, but in
both instances horse sense will show that it is
better to attain proficiency through practice
than to chuck and chance it without

FLY-CASTING CONTESTS 108

I will now attempt to give the beginner at fly-
fishing a few hints as to casting with ordinary
fishing tackle, leaving tournament casting for
discussion farther on.

CHAPTER XII

FLY-FISHING PRACTICE

THE best place to practice is on a pond or
pool where a little point juts out from
the shore, affording a clear space be-
fore and behind you, so that your line will not
foul trees or bushes. Lacking this, erect a little
platform from which to cast. Secure some
planks or boards, then drive two stakes as far
out as your boards will reach, nailing a strong
cross-piece to them and making the ends of the
boards fast to this. A second support nearer
shore will be needed, to prevent the planks
from springing too much. The width of the
platform depends upon your own energy; two
planks will serve, though six will be better.

The height may be only sufficient to clear the
water. The regulation height for tournament
platforms is eighteen inches above the water.
This is all right for bait-casting, but for fly-
casting it is an open question whether height is
an advantage. I for one do not believe that it

is. In distance casting the rod and line are kept

104

FLY-CASTING PRACTICE 105

at a considerable distance above the line of the
caster's middle during the longest part of a
cast. Control of the line is greatest when it is
above the waist. Therefore, in my humble
opinion, the nearer one stands to the water
level, the better will be his control of the line.

If possible, cast along the shore, so that the
floating marks may be placed at known dis-
tances, to inform you as to the progress you
make ; or so that some friend may tell you how
far or how accurate are your casts.

Joint up your rod, attach the reel and thread
the line through the guides and top. Attach a
leader of ordinary length to the line, and put
on an old fly with the hook cut ofl[ at the bend.
A fairly heavy leader is best, and this should
be well soaked and straightened.

It Is conceded that a tapered line is em-
ployed, as this is the proper sort for fishing.
The best size is E, but if the rod be powerful,
with plenty of backbone, a D line may fit it
better. By " fit " is meant that the weight of
the heavier line will cause the rod to spring
forward and back nicely when under perfect
control of the wrist, and not compel you to
put into the cast the full-arm motion that is so
often seen, yet which is both unnecessary and
fatiguing. Let the rod do the work.

106 FISHING TACKLE

Now, with the rod in the right and the line
in the left hand, extend the line thirty feet; then
draw it toward you gently until it straightens,
and lift it quickly and cleanly, employing the
wrist only, the arm resting against your side.
The lift, retrieve, or recovery then steadies until
the rod reaches the vertical position. Stop it
there, for its work in retrieving ends at that
point, and every degree it extends behind will
detract materially from clean casting. Wait
much longer than you ever did before on the
back cast, then bring the rod forward with an
even swing, and stop it dead just before it
reaches the horizontal, at the same time letting
a couple of yards of line run through the
guides.

Try again, timing the cast and retrieve i, 2;
and the back cast 3, 4, 5, 6. Let a little more
line out, and make a third essay, then strip in
and rest. In stripping, or pulling, the line
through the guides, always hold the tip of the
rod down. Stripping with the rod held well up
will soon ruin any line, as the latter is bent
too much in passing through the top ring. This
causes excessive wear and is unnecessary.

As you let more line out, you will notice that
the rod works better — not stiffly, but like a
flexible steel spring, the line seeming to be a

FLY'CASTING PRACTICE 107

part of It. This is as it should be. You will
also notice that when you retrieve smartly, stop
the rod overhead, wait patiently until the line
pulls hard behind you, then make the for-
ward cast without any snap at all — ^you will
notice, I say, that considerably more line runs
through your left hand, and that it lies out
straight on the water without splash.

Remember that in fishing for trout that are
shy, the less you disturb the water the better.
Hence the value of learning to shoot the line
instead of extending it by a series of casts,
any one of which may frighten away your fish.
" Shooting " means the jump the line makes at
the end of the forward cast when the back
cast is high up and properly timed.

Do not try to work out too far. It is better
to work out in two or three casts, followed by
a shoot, then strip in and begin over again.
If you try repeatedly to lift all the line you can
get out, you will only tire your wrist and make
slovenly work of it.

Try again, but give attention to the left hand
now. In the forward cast extend the left hand
the right foot forward. At the end of the cast,
and just before you begin to lift, pull in the line
smartly until the left hand rests against the
body.- This will straighten the line on the

108 FISHING TACKLE

water, and put it in motion to lift. This is
a very important thing, for the full power of
lifting is attained in this way, instead of wast-
ing one-third of the retrieve in straightening
a slack line.

No body motion is needed in cast or re-
trieve, though the involuntary slight bending
forward and backward is not objectionable.
The right arm from the elbow up might as well
be tied against the side, for its function is
merely to steady the wrist. The thumb per-
forms an important function, too. Do not
grasp the rod as you would an umbrella handle
— as some anglers do — ^but keep the thumb
parallel with the grasp. In this position the
thumb helps materially in stopping the rod at
the end of the back cast, and in keeping the
rod at the proper angle. Do not cant the rod
toward the right, but retrieve and cast straight
over the right shoulder. This makes for ac-
curacy.

Of course the side cast should be practiced,
too, for there are places where the overhead
cast cannot be employed, as in wading along
a shore overhung with low growth. Later on
it will be well to practice casting with the left
hand. There are many times when one must
use the right hand to help himself over or

FLY-CASTING PRACTICE 109

around difficult places, and when that hand tires
it is a comfort to shift the work to the left
hand. But the overhead cast is the proper
one to master first, then the others will be
learned quickly.

In making a fishing cast hold the left hand
rigid; or, as some do, hook the second finger
of the right hand over the line, so that it may
be kept taut and under perfect control, else the
fly will be snapped back or the line will lay
out slack with a splash. The same thing may
occur in a shoot if too much line is let out,
or if it is checked abruptly.

It is difficult to learn to shoot the line until
you have succeded in casting forty or fifty feet.
The reason for this is that you do not get out
enough of the belly of the line to act as a
weight, which, on being projected by the spring
of the rod, shoots forward in a rolling loop,
as shown in Fig. 24, pulling several feet of

Fig. 24. — Rolling Loop of Line at End of Forward Cast

line with it. In order to fix in your mind just
how this is done, ask a companion to take hold

110 FISHING TACKLE

of the fly, and walking alongshore, say fifty
feet, release it at the word, when you begin to
retrieve. If the back cast is given plenty of
time, the line will go forward with enough
force to pull ten or more feet of line through
the guides, and shoot the fly considerably
farther than you had before been able to cast
it. From this you will also understand that it
is the resistance of the water on the line in
retrieving that brings out the full spring of
the rod. As a result the line is thrown high
up behind you in a loop just the reverse of that
shown in Fig. 24. The common error is to
carry the rod too far back (Fig. 25), the line

Fig. 25.— Back Cast in Which the Lme Strikes the Water
Behind.

touching or lying out on the water behind you,
making "sloppy work" of the next forward
cast.

Carrying the rod too far back Is generally
followed by starting the forward cast too soon.
The line is not given time to straighten behind.
When the forward cast is started with the

FLY-CASTING PRACTICE 111

fly in position indicated in Fig. 25, the line
straightens with a whip-like snap, and often
the fly is cut off. But when the rod is stopped
correctly, the line is thrown back high up, and
Fig. 26 illustrates its position when plenty of

Fig. 26. — Position of Line and Fly at end of Back Cast.

time has been given to let the line and leader
turn over and begin to fall — the proper mo-
ment to start the forward cast. The line will
then roll out cleanly and alight softly. Fig.
27 shows how the line looks at the middle of
the forward cast, the fly passing over your
head.

Fig. 27. — ^Forward Cast.

Granted that it is not often that you will

112 FISHING TACKLE

have occasion to make fishing casts of more than
forty or fifty feet, it is nevertheless well to be
able to cast farther than that. For every ten
feet that you increase your average distance,
the difficulty of manipulating rod, line, and fly
cleanly will increase. To master these obstacles
and gain confidence in yourself and your tackle
is worth a great deal more to you, even though
you may never need to cast more than forty
feet in your fishing. Perfect mastery of a long
line counts when you fish under trees, for if
you can control a long line in the open, it will
be easier to manipulate a short line without get-
ting " hung up." Therefore, practice diligently.
And as it is a great advantage to know if
you are progressing, rig up a line by means of
which you can measure your casts roughly, and
at the same time aim for precision. Three
wooden disks each six inches in diameter will
serve. Coat them with enamel, so they will
show more plainly in the water than if painted.
Make them red, white, and blue, respectively.
Take an old fishing line and measuring off fifty
feet, tie on a bit of red string. Ten feet farther
attach a piece of white string, for sbcty feet;
and blue string at the seventy-foot mark. Wind
the line on an old reel, making the platform
end fast to the axle. In use, reel ofi the line,

§1

' i

FLY^ASTING PRACTICE 118

tie the disks on at the proper places, and stretch
the line from platform to shore, or anchor the
outer end with a stone. Besides helping you in
distance work, the disks will be excellent marks
for accuracy casting.

With any good fly-rod you can cast seventy
feet or more if you will keep in mind constantly
the principal points: straighten the line with
the left hand, lift quickly, stop the rod over-
head, give the back cast plenty of time, and
carry the forward cast through steadily with-
out the common but objectionable snap at the
end. Practice will do the rest, but if you cast
in company with other anglers, ask one of them
to assist you in timing the back cast. If he will
tell you when you carry the rod too far back,
and you will wait with the back cast until he
says, " Now," you will soon succeed in correct-
ing your faults and in increasing your distance.
At the same time you will have acquired confi-
dence in yourself and your tackle.

Besides the overhead cast and the side cast,
which is only a modification of the former, it
will be worth while to learn the switch cast.
In fishing it is often impossible to employ the
back cast, because of a high bank or trees be-
hind you. The switch cast overcomes these
difficulties. Learn it by all means.

114 FISHING TACKLE

Make a cast, and instead of lifting the line,
carry the rod up slowly to thie vertical, then
go forward and downward with speed and
force. The line will be pulled toward you on
the water until the fly is say fifteen feet distant,
then projected forward with a snap that will
carry the fly clear of the water, to alight cleanly
farther and farther at every cast. The style
is just the reverse of ordinary casting. Retrieve
slowly, cast quickly, and repeat until the desired
distance is attained. At no time need rod, line,
or fly pass more than three feet behind you.

Dry-fly casting is so fascinating and so use-
ful that every angler should practice it. It
differs in style from wet-fly casting in that the
water is not touched by fly or line until sufficient
distance has been attained to place the fly at a
certain point. Start with a short line and cast
up and out, back and forward, letting a little
line out with each false cast, until sufficient line
is out, then cast lightly on the water and let
the fly float. Retrieve very gently, and make
several false casts, to dry the fly and extend the
line, before making another fishing cast. The
back and forward casts are both made in about
equal time, and care is taken to prevent the fly
from touching the water on the retrieve. It
will assist you if you will use your disks as

FLY'CASTING PRACTICE 115

targets. Start with the line the length of the
rod, making several false casts, then a scoring
cast at the first mark; three or four dry casts,
then score at the second mark, and so on. This
is pretty work, and good fishing practice.

Five targets are used in dry-fly accuracy con-
tests, each one a thirty-inch circle. Wooden
barrel hoops attached to a line will serve. The
standard distances for light rods are 20, 27^^,
35> 42 ^> and 50 feet. Three scoring casts
are made at each target, with at least one false
cast in between. A cast inside the circle counts
o, or perfect; within one foot of the circle, i
demerit; within two feet, 2 demerits, and so on;
If the fly fails to float, i additional demerit.
If you score 60 demerits, divide 60 by 15, the
number of casts, giving 4; deducting 4 from
100 gives the percentage, 96.

A few words regarding rods may not be
out of place here. For all-round trout fishing
a rod of five or six ounces is perhaps best, and
the favorite length is 9 or 9 J4 feet; but quicker
rods are now used than formerly, though it is
possible to carry stiffness to extremes. There
are few prettier rods to fish the fly with than
those having slow action, and although the stif-
fer rods are better for windward work and for
fishing the floating fly, if you can have only one

116 FISHING TACKLE

rod, see that it has good action clear down to
the hand.

The five-ounce tournament rod is a splendid
one for heavy streams not much overgrown,
but as these rods are generally ten feet long,
they are not so handy for brooks as the three-
and four-ounce rods of 8 or 9 feet. For dry-fly
work the four-ounce, 9-foot tournament rod is
ideal. It works best with a tapered D line.

CHAPTER XIII

TOURNAMENT LINES

THE fishing practice casting of which I
have written leads naturally to tourna-
ment casting; or, in other words, to
competition, between two friends, it may be,
or among members of a fishing club. When
two persons practice together a third frequently
puts in appearance, and ere long the fascination
of the pastime is discussed, with the result that
a club springs into being. No costly equipment
or grounds being necessary, it is not diflicult
to find a pond or pool suitable for practice,
and plenty of willing hands to put together
platform, marking line, and targets.

Fishing rods are used at first, and then one
by one the members procure tournament rods
and lines. As in all other games, the rules
being liberal enough to admit anything with-
in reason, it follows that no one wishes to be
outclassed if good tackle will prevent it.

In distance trout fly-casting, rods of several
types are recognized. The so-called heavy rod

"7

118 FISHING TACKLE

is limited only as to length — iij4 feet; but
it must of course be held in one hand only.
This is the most popular rod. Its weight ranges
from 9 to 13 ounces, the average being about
10 ounces.

The five-ounce rod comes next. If it has a
metal reel-seat it may weigh just under sH
ounces. There is no restriction as to length,
but ID feet is the popular maximum length.
This is the " most rod " of any, for its ounces.
The fittings are made light, so that all possible
weight may be put into the cane. It is used
more and more every year, both for fishing and
contest casting. It is used for wet-fly distance ;
for dry-fly distance; for dry-fly accuracy; and
for wet-fly accuracy.

The 4^ -ounce rod — a distinctively Eastern
rod — is coming into more general use. Perhaps
it will be the all-round rod of the future. Nine
feet is the popular length, and so powerful is
this little rod that it is frequently called upon
to handle the very heavy lines suited to 10-
ounce rods — lines that weigh almost half as
much as the rod. So far this rod has been
used only in wet-fly distance casting, and in dry-
and wet-fly trout fishing.

Several years ago the National Association
was asked to, and did pass, a rule limiting the

TOURNAMENT LINES 119

salmon rod length to 15 feet. The object was
to fix on a reasonable length, and to encourage
salmon anglers to use thejr fishing rods in
contests. Until then one could go into a salmon
event with a bean pole, if he cared to, or use
one of the ridiculous 18- or 20- foot English
rods, weighing several pounds. That the 15-
foot rule is a good one has been proved on
several occasions, when casters have, with rods
of this length, exceeded the best records ever
made by Britishers with rods of any length.
In fact, our cousins across the water have
never made much of a showing in distance fly-
casting. Perhaps this accounts for the efforts
some of them make to poke fun at our tourna-
ment fly-rods.

That salmon casting is not a giant's game
is shown by the excellent records made by men
far under the average in height and weight.
But salmon rods are costly, and few individuals
care to purchase rods solely for use in two or
three contests yearly. Where clubs furnish these
rods, however, as some do, the contests are
always well patronized. These rods weigh
from 24 to 28 ounces.

The five-ounce rod being an excellent one to
start with, let us see what you can do with it.

The first thing to be provided is a line. You

120 FISHING TACKLE

can cast during your novitiate with a regular
double tapered line, but there is something
better. The fishing line is thirty yards long.
As the taper on each end is from twelve to eigh-
teen feet, the total length must be made up by
a level middle, or belly. With a line of this
sort you can work out just so far, and there you
are stopped because the belly of the line is too
heavy to shoot.

The logical thing to do is to cut the line,
splice a length of small level line on to the belly,
for a back (or shooting) line, and make the
front taper longer, by splicing a few feet of level
line on the end.

So far, so good ; but what must be the propor-
tions of leader, taper, belly, back line? you ask.
If I knew just how far you could cast three
times out of four, I could give you exact form-
ulae ; but as I do not, the only thing left is to
strike an average. In handicapping contestants
it is customary in some clubs to place one who
has no record in the seventy-five foot class;
that is, on the safe assumption that he will cast
that far, at least, with a little practice. Make
up a line based on that rule.

With this line you can work out until the
rear end of the belly is in your hand or on the
rod, but not farther up than the middle joint.
When that point is reached you must either

TOURNAMENT LINES 121

shoot or strip in, for you cannot lift the line
if the belly runs off the rod. You measure, then,
from where you stand to the sixty-five-foot
mark, thus allowing ten feet on the safe side of
seventy-five feet.

We will say that the leader is to be six feet
long, for a starter. Twenty-five feet is a good
length for the front taper. The proportions
are, then:

I Leader 6 feet

I Front taper 25 feet

Belly 34 feet

! 65 feet

This IS the key to an endless number of com-
binations that you may work out as you become
more proficient — measure from where you stand
to the point where you can cast regularly. If
you increase the length of the taper, decrease
the length of the belly, and vice versa ; it being
understood, of course, that you will add to
the length of one or both as your skill is aug-
mented. But as thirty-five yards is a good
length, add forty feet of fine level line to your
casting line.

If you know how long each taper of your
fishing line is, you will be able to splice a piece
on one end long enough to make that taper
twenty-five feet. If not, try a piece ten feet

122 FISHING TACKLE

long, then measure back sixty-five feet, cut the
line there and splice on the back line, which
should be a good piece of level dressed line,
But as you will soon " out-grow" this first line,
do not cut up a good fishing line, but purchase
a regulation tournament line or make up one
from several lengths of the proper sizes.

The tournament lines are made in various
ways, but two of the most frequently used are
like this : One tapers up almost the full length
to the center, then tapers down to the other
end; the other has a long front taper, a belly
ranging from twenty to fifty feet, then tapers
down rapidly to a thin, level back line. This
type of line has proved to be the best one for
distance casting.

If you are fond of experimenting, make up
a line from pieces of level dressed line, which
you can purchase in twenty-five-yard lengths,
. splicing the various pieces together. In this it
is of course desirable to make few splices, hence
the tapers will not be nicely graduated, but
this will not greatly matter in practice. If the
thirty-four-foot belly is size B, splice fifteen feet
of D on the front end, and a ten-foot length
of F on D. Then on the back end of the belly-
splice on five feet of D and the forty-foot back
line. Four splices only will be needed, as

r

TOURNAMENT LINES 123

against twice as many If the tapers be graduated
nicely.

In making splices, fray out the ends to be
joined, using a needle or any pointed instrument.
Pick the strands apart carefully for three-
quarters of an inch, then separate them into
two equal parts as shown in Fig. 28. Join

Fig. 28. — Frayed Ends of Line Ready for Splicing.

the pieces, but do not push them together tight,
as a hard, thick splice will be the result. The
four ends will overlap sufficiently to make a
splice that will not pull apart.

Wax a length of silk thread, and commencing
at the center of the splice, secure one end of
the thread against slipping (Fig. 29) while you

Fig. 29.— Winding the Splice.

Wind one-half of the splice with the other.

124 FISHING TACKLE

When the frayed ends of the line are covered,
lay a loop of thread along the line, wind over
loop a half-dozen turns, then pull end of silk
under and wind the opposite end in the same
fashion. Roll the finished splice under a ruler,
to make it smooth, and apply two coats of
shellac. A splice of this sort will last a long
time if shellacked when it shows signs of wear.
It is smooth, and with practice you will be able
to make it almost as small as the line itself.

In casting a spliced line will last a long
time if you do not strip in line while the rod
is held upright. Always keep the rod down in
stripping. Otherwise the waterproof dressing
will be damaged at the rod top every time
the line is pulled sharply enough to bend it at
an angle.

If you find that the taper of your spliced
line is not what it should be, in your opinion,
you can take the line apart and change it until
it suits you ; or if the front end becomes worn,
discard a section and put in a new one, make
the taper longer or shorter, etc. Splices are
not difficult to make, but if you have a fly-tyer's
vise it is advisable to use it in holding the line.
Better winding will result.

For splicing, and for all rod and tackle re-
pairs, a bit of wax is a necessity. It is easily

TOURNAMENT LINES 125

made, as follows: Melt together over a slow
fire in a small tin dish or cup, one ounce of
rosin and twenty grains of beeswax. Stir with
a stick, then add sixty grains of fresh, unsalted
lard, or lacking this, an equal quantity of mut-
ton tallow. Stir for several minutes, then pour
the mixture into a basin of cold water. Rub a
little vaseline on your fingers, to prevent the wax
from sticking to them at first, take it out of
the water and pull and work it until it becomes
cream color, then put it in a piece of chamois
skin, and it is ready for use.

Theodore Gordon, who has had a very wide
experience in fishing and fly-tying, has given
me the following recipe for silk wax. I have
found it excellent. The variations are for
different seasons:

No. I. Rosin 2 ounces, lard J4 ounce,
paraffin wax i drachm.

No. 2. Rosin 2 ounces, paraffin wax J4-
ounce, lard i drachm.

No. 3. Rosin 2 ounces, paraffin wax J4-
ounce, lard 2 scruples.

No. 4. Rosin 2 ounces, paraffin wax J4-
ounce, lard J4 -drachm.

Work while under cold water and wrap in
chamois skin.

Do not wind your spliced line — or any other

126 FISHING TACKLE

a fishing reel, but use something larger.
In tournament casting a great many anglers
use a " reel " (Fig. 30) turned from a piece of

Fig. 30. — Reel for Tournament Fly Lines.
Any wood worker can turn this from a piece of poplar
or white pine. Its diameter is 9 inches; thickness, i inch;
width of rim, i]4 inches; depth of groove, ^ inch; width
of groove, ^ inch. It will hold any fly line. Protect it
from warping and checking with two coats of shellac A
loop of cord is attached to end of line, then looped over
the loop, pulled taut, then the casting line rolled on.

I- or I ^ -inch white pine or poplar. This is
simply a disk seven or eight inches in diameter
with a groove cut in its edge and the center
cut out, leaving a sort of grooved hoop. It
will hold a large quantity of the heaviest line.
With it the line is reeled in very rapidly. Its
principal advantage is that its diameter being
large, the line is not cramped, but comes off

TOURNAMENT LINES 127

straight and runs through the guides like a lead
wire.

The chief fault with these wooden reels is
that they split readily if dropped. In casting
about for something as light but stronger I hit
on the following plan.

Two pieces of sheet aluminum, 7x7x11/16-
inches were purchased. On each one I scribed
two circles, one 7 inches, the other 55^ inches
in diameter. They were easily cut out with a
hacksaw, the inner edges smoothed with file
and emery cloth, the outer edges with a very
small plane. Two feet of thin brass tubing,
and three feet of soft brass wire just the size
to fit the tubing were then procured. The tub-
ing was sawed into ^-inch lengths, and the
wire into J^-inch lengths. I then marked the
inner edge of one of the aluminum circlets in
sbcteen places, evenly spaced, and clamping them
together in a vise, bored holes through both at
the marks, and just far enough away from the
edge so that the rivets would not pull out.

Taking the circlets out of the vise, they were
placed, one on each end of a piece of tubing,
a piece of wire pushed through all, and both
ends riveted. This was done all-round, the ends
of rivets smoothed off, and I had a reel that is
practically indestructible, but which weighs

128 FISHING TACKLE

about four ounces. Being open on two edges,
the line dries nicely on the reel, and it will hold
a great deal of line. By the use of the pieces
of tubing and wire I was saved the labor of
making rivets from solid wire, but the reel is
strong and neat, and I have several of them
that have seen hard use for a number of years.
They are made to fit one within the other.

After using these reels for some time,
William Mills & Son asked permission to copy
them, and they put out reels that are of course
far superior to mine, as theirs are made from
spun aluminum, practically in one piece. They
are made up in sets of two or three, one fitting
within the other.

In stringing up the rod, in casting, the reel
is placed on the platform. The line is unrolled
from the reel as one would do with a tape
measure but never pulled off in coils, as this
would snarl it.

The calibers of fishing lines, as made by the
different firms, are almost hopelessly confused.
Some firms use what seems to be the original
method — of employing the first nine letters of
the alphabet — and others use nine figures. Then
some reverse the order, so that a No. 6 line, say,
is larger than a No. i. Then again lines are
numbered arbitrarily, so that a No. 3 and a

PMttrtph hy Garf/ A. Irvna

Bait-Casting for Bass ii

TOURNAMENT LINES 129

No. 269 are alike in caliber but different in style
of braiding or finish.

An interesting paragraph on the subject of
line calibers was given by Theophilus South
in his " Fly-Fishers' Textbook," (London,
1841), as follows:

"Salmon Reel Lines. — ^Now, as to these, they
should be from sixty to eighty yards long —
you require the latter length especially where
salmon incline to run much, and from your con-
tiguity to trees or bushes on the bank, you can-
not follow him or change your position. Another
advantage is that as the end which is so much
on the water and so constantly passing through
the rings of the rod in shortening and lengthen-
ing your throw can never be depended on for
soundness above one season at most, removing
the damaged part, sufficient length still remains
for ordinary rivers and places, while a joint or
splice in the line should always be avoided, if
feasible.

" The material, I repeat, should be silk and
hair twisted, and the end, for about twelve
yards, may taper slightly; though perhaps it is
as well to have it of uniform substance through-
out, of about the thickness of the *D ' in the
third octave of your sister's harp (to measure
which, borrow her string gauge), or thinner

180 FISHING TACKLE

than a new shilling, which is strong enough for
any salmon anywhere, provided it is used skil-
fully. Many old and experienced salmon fishers
adopt much stouter, yet I prefer fine fishing, and
am ready, for a wager to kill any fish under fifty
pounds in a tolerable situation with the sub-
stance I allude to. It will bear at least eighteen
pounds dead weight, and perhaps more.

" Trout reel lines should be of the same ma-
terial; namely, twisted hair and silk, but nec-
essarily much thinner, and from thirty to fifty
yards in length, or even longer for lake fishing,
where heavy trout are expected. However,
thirty yards is quite enough for a light trout
rod. They must taper gradually for the last
eight or ten yards to the end, where, in sub-
stance, they should not exceed the first * D ' on
the aforesaid harp guage, or very thick netting
silk, while the stouter end should be about equal
to the second * D '."

For a number of years I have been collecting
data on the subject of line calibers, and in my
own work I follow these sizes:

Nutpber Inch Number Inch

No. 2 or o/o 065 E 038

A 060 F 034

B 056 G 030

C 052 H 026

D 045 I 021

TOURNAMENT LINES 181

These sizes have been compared with those
employed by a very large number of British,
Scotch, and American makers and dealers. The
average variation is so slight that they have
been found very satisfactory.

To assist those who do not possess microme-
ter calipers, but have access to the standard wire
guage, the following table may be of interest.
It is that adopted by Brown & Sharpe, and is
known as the American wire guage.

Number Inch Number Inch

14 064 20 031

IS 0S7 21 (»8

16 050 22 025

17 045 23 022

18 040 24 020

19 035

CHAPTER XIV

TOURNAMENT FLY-CASTING

NOW we are ready to commence casting.
String up the five-ounce rod, but place
the reel behind you on the platform at
your left, and after unreeling all the line, coil
it back, so that it will render freely through
your left hand and the guides. Stand with your
right foot forward, and make it a habit to move
your feet only when necessary, and then^iyith
due care for the line on the platform. It is aa
old joke with casters that a line will not shoot
well when you are standing on itl

Make a couple of casts, working the line out
thirty or forty feet. In the next cast lift the
line smartly the instant that it touches the water,
giving it no time to " drown." The left hand
assists at the same time by straightening the
line on the water, so that it is moving toward
you as you begin to retrieve. These are very
important first steps, and should be practiced
diligently. Keep in mind the fact that by puU-

132

TOURNAMENT FLY-CASTING 183

ing the line in with the left hand you put the full
strength of the rod into lifting a tight line. Re-
member, too, that you cannot lift a long line
if you wait until it sinks, or drowns.

In picking up quickly and in stopping the rod
when it reaches the vertical, you will be able to
keep the line high up in the back cast, and this
will give the line plenty of time to straighten
and go forward without touching anything. The
higher the back cast, the more time you can
give it — and you will seldom wait too long.
When the line pulls hard, start the forward
cast, carrying it through steadily but without
snap, stopping the rod just above the horizontal.
At the same time let a little line run through
the guides. Then pull in, lift with a vim, and
wait patiently for the pull behind. On the next
cast, if you feel the small line in your hand, let
the line run, and do not retrieve. We will call
this a scoring cast.

In shortening line you can strip in several
yards, then lift, but in a contest this wastes
time, and when you have only five or eight min-
utes In which to do your best casting, every sec-
ond IS valuable. Therefore, strip in ten or fif-
teen feet, then make a strong switch cast, fol-
lowed by a quick lift. If the cast that follows
be a good one, and the line pulls nicely in the

184 FISHING TACKLE

back cast, shoot for a scoring cast. Do not
hurry, take plenty of time, but do not waste
any of it trying to lift too much line. It is bet-
ter policy to try to make one scoring cast per
minute. The fault most common to casters is
too great haste. While the switch cast helps
materially in ** getting under " a long line, it
should be practiced often, for it tires the wrist
very much more than does the overhead cast.

In tournament casting it is necessary to de-
part from your fishing style and put the entire
arm into service. In the forward cast you bend
forward slightly and carry the right arm as far
out as possible. Then in retrieving straighten
up, pull in all the line you can manage with the
left hand, and carry the right hand high above
you, but not far enough to let the rod go back
more than five degrees beyond the vertical. It
will of course spring back with the line, but ask
a friend to coach you, to assist you in learning
the difficult feat of stopping the rod as it must
be stopped if you are to become a distance
caster. It is very difficult to do this, for it puts
severe strain on the thumb and wrist, but you
will see the advantage if you will watch a caster
who frequently strikes the tip of his rod on the
platform behind him, as some do at first.

It is considered very bad form to touch the

TOURNAMENT FLY-CASTING 135

water on the back cast with line or leader. In
addition to this, to touch or strike on the back
cast ruins the forward cast, and what is worse.
It is possible to smash the tip or middle joint of
the rod by lifting the line when it drops on the
water behind you.

It will assist you in learning to stop if you will
practice with a rod having a long grasp. Push
the butt inside your sleeve and cast with rigid
arm. Stop arm at the right place and note the
difference ; the rod will not go back, it being held
by your sleeve. This is not permitted in contests,
and it is well to use the rod just as it comes
from the maker, but trying this method will do
no harm in practice.

At first you will find the line and leader
troublesome. You will tie both in innumerable
knots and end perhaps, in a hopeless tangle.
As the loop of the line and the leader pass each
other frequently in a series of casts, it is not re-
markable that one should foul the other. The
remedy is consistent practice, carrying the rod
forward and back straight over the right
shoulder. Attempting to lift too much line may
snarl it, for sooner or later you will lose control
of.it, and in the threshing that generally fol-
lows, a bad tangle will end the matter.
Veterans frequently mention the time when, as

186 FISHING TACKLE

they say, they were consistent in lifting ninety
feet of line for every cast of eighty feet 1 Learn
to shoot, as that is the secret of all distant cast-
ing. With a properly balanced tournament line
it is seldom necessary to lift more than eighty
feet of line in order to make a cast of one hun-
dred feet, and it is possible at times to shoot
the line much farther than twenty feet. Work
out until the small back line is reached, then hold
the line there, wait for a good back cast, and
shoot. Strip in and try again.

One of the chief faults in distance casting
IS the putting of too much strength into the for-
ward cast. Too many casters try to " slam " the
line, and this slam ends with a snap that carries
the rod into or near the water, effectually kill-
ing the shoot. They have no point of aim, as
the archers say. Practice until you can keep this
in mind at every cast. Fix your attention on
some distant object that appears to be about
thirty feet higher than the lOO-foot mark. Aim
for that point, and never let the rod tip go
below it. If you end the cast with a snap, the
tip of the rod vibrates violently at the very In-
stant when it should stop dead in order to per-
mit the line to slide freely through the guides
In the shoot.

Look at the matter from another angle.

TOURNAMENT FLY-CASTING 137

It is the perfect back cast that makes for a long
shoot, and when the back cast is right, you will
be surprised to see how far you can shoot if
you will merely carry the rod forward to the
stopping point — "lay it down," as the saying
goes. In eight minutes casting time in an event,
it is a severe penalty to be compelled to devote
five minutes to replacing lost flies — and you are
sure to snap the fly off if you hurry with the back
cast and slam the Fme. Again, let the rod do
the work; that is what is was made for. It will
lift the heavy line, stop it, and start it going
again. Merely keep the line going until gravity
stops the farther progress of the belly, and the
force that has been properly applied will carry
the taper and leader on and out, to turn over in
a graceful loop, and lay out straight on the
water.

Hold the line until the rod reaches the stop-
ping point, then let it run. Too many casters
let go of the line before the completion of the
cast. The result is that line and leader fall
into a heap, or the leader doubles back. The
forward cast with fly- and bait-rod is very much
alike. With the latter you carry the cast
through steadily, raise the thumb and let the
line run out. With the fly-rod you release the
line when the belly begins to pull.

138 FISHING TACKLE

Long tapers are popular for distance cast-
ing, but it is not advisable to go to extremes
in this matter. In a place where the air is dry,
a much longer taper may be used successfully
than in places where the air is heavy and humid.
Twenty-five feet is a good length; thirty feet
can be managed by the average caster; thirty-
five feet will suit one who is in the ninety-foot
class ; and forty feet is about all that any caster
will be able to master in heavy air. Too often
the taper is slow at the point and quick at the
back end — next to the belly. It should be just
the reverse, for if it is spun out too fine it will
not straighten, particularly if there is a side
wind, or eddying currents of air near the water.

Experiment with leaders until you are sure
that you can always straighten one of a certain
length. If this is twelve feet long, keep an
eight-foot leader in reserve for an unfavorable
day. The best tapered leaders you can afford
are none too good for distance casting. If you
cannot straighten a short leader, cut a foot
off the line taper and try again. Failing, cut
off six inches more. Go slow with this, and
try It on different days before spoiling the
taper.

It IS a common fault to use a line that is too
heavy for the rod. B is heavy enough for the

TOURNAMENT FLY-CASTING 139

five-ounce rod if the belly is thirty to thirty-five
feet in length. A thirty-five-yard B tournament
line should weigh iH ounces to ij^ ounces. For
dry-fly distance casting with the five-ounce rod,
and for wet-fly distance casting with the four-
ounce rod, a C line weighing i^ ounces is about
right. Less belly and taper are needed in the
last-named line.

What has been said of casting with the five-
ounce rod applies both to the four-ounce and
the unlimited rod. The latter is generally ii^
feet long, and is fitted with a long grasp. Bare
your arm and lay it down on a two-foot rule.
Measure from the end of the thumb to a point
on the muscles of the forearm 2j^ inches from
the point of the elbow. This will determine
the proper length of the grasp, say from 13 to
15 inches. (See Fig. 31,)

Fig. 31. — Position of Arm and Hand in Casting With
the Unlimited Rod.

In selecting a rod, see that it has good action
clear down to the hand. If it Is too stiff
it will force you to cast rapidly, and this you

140 FISHING TACKLE

cannot do with a heavy rod. The middle joint
should be strong, and the tip of slow rather
than quick taper. Of the two, a rod with stiff
butt, and one with apparently too much butt
action, choose the latter. Give no heed to the
weight of the rod, save that it should in a
measure correspond with your strength. Mere
weight signifies little in the unlimited rod, and
one weighing 9 ounces may suit you better than
one of II or 12 ounces.

In selecting the rod with which I have done
my best general average distance casting, I did
so with the intention of trying a lighter one than
any of the four rods that I had used during
several seasons. The one I finally selected had
very slow action, and seemed to weigh less than
ten ounces. In practice it did not tire my arm,
would lift a very long line, and one day I
weighed it. The old rods weighed 12, 11^,
12, and 11% ounces respectively; the new one
I2j4 ounces 1

For greater convenience in stripping the line,
the lowermost, or hand guide, should be thirty
to thirty-six inches from the butt of the rod. It
is well to have a hand guide of phosphor bronze,
steel, or agate, as this guide is subjected to ex-
cessive wear. I prefer bronze for the reason
that agates are so easily broken. And agate

TOURNAMENT FLY-CASIING 141

tops are an abomination. The other guides
should be snake pattern and a little larger than
those of the fishing rod. Bronzed steel guides
are best.

In casting with the heavy rod, hold the butt
against the muscles of the forearm, thumb ex-
tended along the grasp, wrist absolutely rigid.
(Fig- 3i-)* Cast just as you would if the grasp
were lashed to your hand and arm. The only
hinges are at the elbow and shoulder.

You lift the line with the whole arm; you
stop the rod with rigid arm and wrist, keeping
the butt against the forearm. This is a difficult
thing to master, but it can and must be done.
I find it a help to use a soft rubber buttcap,
which prevents the butt from slipping off the
forearm in lifting the line. I use one of the
caps made for bait rods, but trim it down until
it is the same diameter as the handgrasp.

THE END

OUTING PUBLISHING COMPANY— NEW YORK

©UTING

HA^a>BOOKS

Tht textbooks for oui"
door work and pLi^

a Each book deals with a separate aobject and deals with it thor^
ouffhly. If you want to know anything about Airedales an OUT^G
HANDBOOK gives you all yon want. If it's Apple Growing, another
OUTING HANDBOOK meets your need. The Fisherman, the
Camper, the Poultry-raiser, the Automobilist, the Horseman, all
Tarieties of out-door enthusiasts, will find separate volumes for their
separate interests. There is no waste space.

^ The series is based on the plan of one subject to a book and each
book complete. The authors are experts. Each book has been
specially prepared for this series and ail are published in uniform
style, flexible cloth binding.

tL Two hundred titles are projected. The series covers all phases
of outdoor life, from bee-keeping to big-game shootins. Among the
books now ready or in preparation are those described on the fol«
lowing pages.

PRICE SEVENTY CENTS PER VOL. NET, POSTAGE 5c EXTRA
THE NUMBERS MAKE ORDERING EASY.

1. EXERCISE AND HEALTH, by Dr. Woods

Hutchinson. Dr. Hutchinson takes the common-sense view that
the greatest problem in exercise for most of us is to get enough of
the right kind. The greatest error in exercise is not to take enough,
and the greatest danger in athletics is in giving them up. He vrrites
in a direct matter-of-fact manner with an ayoi£mce of medical terms,
and a strong emphasis on the rational, all-round manner of living
that is best calculated to brine a man to a xipe old age with little
illness or consciousness of bodily weakness.

OUTING PUBLISHING COMPANY^NEW YORK
2. CAMP COOKERY, by Horace KepharL -Hie

leas a man carries in hia rack the more he must carry in his head,**
says Mr. Kephart. This Dook tells what a man shoold csrxy in hotfa
pack and head, Etcit step is traced — ^the selection of provisions
and utensils, with the kind and quantity of each, the preparation of
came, the building of fires* the cooking of every conceivable kind of
food that the camp outfit or woods, fields or streams may provide —
even to the making of desserts. Every xedpe is the result of hard
practioe and long experience.

3. BACKWOODS SURGERY AND MEDICINE,

by Charles S. Moody, M* D. A handy book for the pru-
dent lover of the woods wno doesnH expect to be ill but believes in
being on the safe side. Conunon-sense methods for the treatment
of the ordinary wounds and accidents are described — setting a
broken limb, reducing a dislocation, caring for bums, cuts, etc
Practical remedies for camp diseases are recommended, as well as
the ordinary indications of the most probable ailments, tudndes a
list of the necessary medical and surgical supplies.

4. APPLE GROWING, by M. C. Bnrritt. The

various problems oonfironting the apple grower, firom the preparation
of the soil and the planting of the trees to the marketing of me fruit,
are discussed in detail by the author. Chapter headings are: — ^The
Outlook for tiie Growing of Apples — ^Planning for the Orchard —
Planting and Gro¥ring the Orchacd— Pruning the Trees — Cultivation
and Cover Cropping-*Manuring and Fertiliring — Insects and Di^
eases Afiecting the Apple— The Principles and raictice of Spraying
— Harvesting and Storing— Markets and Marketing — Some CQnta on
Renovating Old Orchard— The Cost of Growing Apples.

5. THE AIREDALE, by Williams Haynes. The

book opens with a short chapter on the origin and development of
the Airedale, as a distinctive breed. The author then takes up the
problems of type as bearing on the selection of the dog, breeding,
training and use. The book is designed for the non-professional dog
fancier, who wishes conunon sense advice which does not involvs
elaborate preparations or expenditure. Chapters are included on the
care of tnc dog in the kennel and simple remediea for oi ~

OUTING PUBLISHING COMPANY-'NEW YORK
♦ 6. THE AUTOMOBILE— Its Selection, Care and

Use, by Robert Sloss. This is a plain, practical discussion of
the things that every man needs to know if he is to huy the right car
and get uie most out of it. The various details of operation and
care are given in simple, intelligent terms. From it the car owner
can easily learn the mechanism of his motor and the art of locating
motor trouhle, as well as how to use his car for the greatest pleasure.
A chapter is included on huUding garages.

7. FISHING KITS AND EQUIPMENT, by,

Samuel G. Camp, a complete guide to the angler buying a new,
outfit. Every detau of the fishing ut of the fireshwater angler is de*
scribed, firom rodtip to creel, and clothing. Special emphasis is laid
on outfitting for fly fishing, but full instruction is also given to the
man who wants to catch pickerel, pike, muskellunge, lake-trout, bass
and other fireshwater game fishes. Prices are quoted for all articles
recommended and the approved method of selecting and testing the
various rodst lines, leaders, etc, is described.

8. THE FINE ART OF FISHING, by Samuel &^

Camp. Combine the pleasure of catching fish with the ratification
of following the sport in the most approved manner. The sugges-
tions offered are helpful to beginner and expert anglers. The ranae
of fish and fishingconditions covered is wide and includes such snb-
jecto as ''Casting Fine and Far OfiE;** ''Strip-Casting for Bass,** "Fish-
ing for Mountain Trout** and "Autumn Fishing for Lake Trout.**
The book is pervaded with a spirit of love for me streamside and
the out-doors generally which the genuine angler will appreciate.
A companion book to "Fishing Kits and Equipment.** The advice
on outntting so capably given in that book is supplemented in this
later work by equally valuable information on how to use the
equipment.

9. THE HORSE— Its Breeding, Care and Use, by

David Bofiiim. Mr. Bufium takes up the common, every-day
problems of the ordinary hprse-users, such as feeding, shoeing,
aimple home remedies, breaking and the cure for various equine
vices. An important chapter is that tracing the influx of Arabian
blood into the English and American horses and its value and limi-
tations. Chapters are included on draft-horses, carriage horses, and
the development of the two-minute trotter. It is distinctly a sensible
book for the sensible man who wishes to know how he can improve
*~'~ horses and his horsemanship at the same time.

OUTING PVBUSHING COMPANY— NEW YORK

10. THE MOTOR BOAT— Ite Selection, Care and
Use, by H. W. Slaason. The intcDdin^ pnrchaser ia •drised
at to the tTpe of motor boat beat Buited to bii particalaT needs and
bow to keep it in rtmning condition after pnTchased. Xbe chapter
beadings are: Kinds and Uses of Motor Boats — IPlien the Hotoc
Balka — Speedingoftbe Motor Boat — Getting Mors Power from a
Hew Motor— How to Install a Marino Power Plant — AcceMoiiea — ■
Corer*, Canopies and Top* — Camping and Cruising — The Boathonae.

11. OUTDOOR SIGNALLING, by Elbert Wells.

Ht. Veils luu perfected a method of eignalling hy means of wig-
wag, tight, smoke, or whistle which ia as simple aa it is effectiTe.
The fbndamental principle can be learned in ten minntes and its
application is iar easier than that of any other code now in use.
It permits also the nse of cipher and can be adapted to almost ai^
imaginable conditions of vreather, light, or topography.

12. TRACKS AND TRACKING, by Josef Bniimer.

After twenty years of patient study and practif^ experience, Mr.
Brunner can, from his mtimate knowledge, speak with authority on
this subject. "Tracks and Ticking" shows how to Ibllow intelli.
gently eren the most intricate animal or bird tracks. It teaches bow
to interpret tracks of wild eame and decipher the many tell-tale
ngns of the chase that wonld otherwise pass unnoticed. It provea
bow it is possible to tell from the foo^nints the name, sex, speed,
direction, whether and how wounded, and many other things about
wild animals and birds. All material has been gathered first band ;
the drawings and half-tones from photographs fonn an importattt
part of the wiwk.

13. WING AND TRAP-SHOOTING, by Gharlea
Abkiiib. Contains a full discossion of the varioos methods,
such as snap^shooting, swing and half-swing, diacusaea the flight Ol
birds with reference to the gunner's problem of lead and lange and
makes special application of the varions points to the different birds
commonly shot in this couatry. A chapter is included on trap

shooting and the book doses with a foicelnl and c ~

* aofiheetignetteofthefield.

OUTING PUBLISHING COMPANY-^'NEW YORK

14. PROFITABLE BREEDS OF POULTRY, by

Arthur S. Wheeler. Mr. Wheeler disciusea firom jpenonal ex-
perience the )>e8t-kiiowii general purpose breeds. Advice is giyen
from the standpoint of the man who desires results in eggs and stock
rather than in specimens for exhibition. In addition to a careful
analysis of stock — good and bad — and some conclusions regarding
housing and management, the author writes in detail regarding
Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes, Oipingtons, Rhode Island Reds,
liteixaneans and the Comislu

15. RIFLES AND RIFLE SHOOTING, by CSiarles

Askins* A practical manual describing varioua makes and mechan-
isms, in addition to discussing in detail the range and limitations in
the nse of the rifle. Treats on the e ver^f ^^^® ^^'^ make of rifle
as weU as their use. Every type of rifle it disciuied 00 that the
book is complete in every detaiL

16. SPORTING FIREARMS, by Horace EepharL

Tlus book is the result of painstaking tests and experiments. Prao-
ticallynothing is taken for granted. Part I deals with the rifle, and
Part U with the shotgun* The man seeking guidance in the selec-
tion and use of small mrearms, as well as the advanced student of
the subject, wiU receive an unusual amount of assistance from this
work* The chapter headings are: Rifles and Ammunition — ^The
Fliffht of Bullets — Killing Power — Rifle Mechanism and Materials —
Rifle Sij^ts— Triggers and Stocks— Care of Rifle— Shot Patterns and
Penetration— Gauges and Weights — Mechanism and Build of
Shotguns.

17. THEYACHTSMAN'SHANDROOK,byHerbert

L. Stone. The author and compiler of this work is the editor of
** Yachting.** He treats in simple language of the manywoblems
confronting the amateur sailor and motor boatman. Handling
ground tackle, handling lines, taking soundings, the use of the lead
&ie, care and use of sails, yachting etiquette, are all given eareful
attention. Some light is thrown upon the operation of the gasoline
motor, and suggestions are made for the avoidance ot engine
troubles.

18. SCOTTISH AND IRISH TERRIERS, by Wfl-

liams Haynes. This is a companion book to **The Airedale,**
and deals with the history and development of both breeds. For
the owner of the dog, valuable information is given as to the use of
the terriers, their treatment in health, their treatment when sick,
the principles of dog breeding, and dog diows and rules.

_ OVTTNG PUBLISHING COMPANY-~NE W YORK -

19. NAVIGATION FORTHE AMATEUR, by C«pt.
E. T. HcwtOD. A elunt tnatise od the liiiifW ntethodt of find*
iagpoatioa at ■«• bj the olweiTaticHiof tberaa'aaltitBdeandilw
itt« of iha aeztant uid chronometer. It U ananged cspecdMllj fiw
yaebtaDMii and amateim who vruh to know tho timplwr furmtilan
for the neceMuj narintion inrolved in taking a boat anywhcxe «tf
ahore, Iltautiated with drawings. Quarter hcadinga : I^mdaMcntal
TeniM— llnw— Hm Snomer line— The IWa Toik, Eqaal *lri*~<t,
and Ei-Meridi«B S|^t»— ffista on Taking OhaervatiMia.

20. OUTDOOR FHOTOGRAFHT, by Julian A*

Dimock. A aolntioa of all the problema in camera work ont-ot
doora. The variona ■Dbjecta dealt with are; The Camera—Lena and
Flatea— Ij^it and Eq^oanre — Development — Printa and Printinfr—
Compontioa— I^ndaEapca — Eigore Work — Speed Photographr — vIm
Lea^ng Taip<m— Sea netniea— In the Good Old mntet 11n>»—

21. PACKING AND PORTAGING, by DiUon
Wallace. Hr. Tallaco baa bron^ togedier in one volomeal]
the valnahle information on the different ways of making and cairyi.
ing the different kind* of packa. The ground corered rangea from
maiHwcking to bonMMcking, from ue nso of tho tump lino to
knowing the ^■w"*w^ hiti*!..

Thii ia a companion book to "The Airedale and "Soottiafa and Iriah
Terriera'* by the aame anthor. Ita greateat naefnlncM ia aa a nidt
tr who wiahea to be hi* own kennel manager, Afbl!

!2. THE BULL TERRIER, by ViUiams Haynes.

~ faandlnBr

aa agnid

„._-..^_~-.~ .._. „..,.»»„_„_ — _ ^[er, AfbL

acconnt of the development of the breed ia pven with a deaeription
of best tn>M B™! Mandarda. Recommeiidationa ittt the care al{
Uie dog in health or aickneM are included. The chapter beada
oorer Buch mattera aa;— Tlie Boll Terrier'a Blatoir— T^ainiiV th»
Bull Terrier— The Terrier in Health — Keiindin fD i ie ae ci.

I

OUTING PUBLISHING COMPANY— NEW YORK

23. THE FOX TERRIER, by WiUiams Haynes.

Ab in his other books on the terrier, Mr. Haynes takes up the origin
and history of the breed, its t3^pes and standards, and the more ex-
dnsive representatiTes down to the present time. Training the Fox
Terrier — His Gire and Kenneling in Sickness and Health — and the
Various Usea to Which He Can Be Put — are among the phases
handled*

24. SUBURBAN GARDENS, by Grace Tabor.

Slnstrated with diagrams. The author regards the house and
groimds as a complete unit and shows how the best results may be
obtained by carrying the reader in detail through the various phases
of designing the ^irden, with the levels and contours necessary,
laying out the walks and paths, planning and placing the arbors,
summer houses, seats, etc^ and selecting and placing trees, shrubs,
vines and flowers. Ideal plans for plots ofvarious sizes are appended,
as well as suggestions for ooxxecting mistakes that have been made
through ^starting wrong.**

25. FISHING WITH FLOATING FLIES, by

Samuel G. Camp. This is an art that is comparatively new in
this country although English anglers have used the dry fly for
generations. Mr. Camp has given the matter special study and is
one of the few American anglers who really understands the matter
from the selection of the oumt to the landing of the fish. His book
takes up the raooess in that order, namely^-How to Outfit for Dry
Fly Fishing— How, Where, and When to Cast— The Selection and
Use of Floating Flies— Diy Fly Fishing for Brook, Brown and
Rainbow Trout— Hooking, Flaying and Luiding— Practical Hints on
Dry Fly Fishing.

26. THE GASOLINE MOTOR, by Harold Whiting

Slauson* Deals with the practical problems of motor operation.
The standpoint is that of the man who wishes to know now and
why gasoline generates power and something about the various
types. Describes in detiul the difierent parts of motors and the
faults to which they are liable. Also gives iaSi directions as to re-
pair and upkeep. Various chapters d^ with Types of Motors*-
Valves — Bearings — I(piition — Carburetors — Lubrication— Fuel ' ^
Two Cydo Motors.

OUTING PUBLISHING COMPANY^NEW YORK
27. ICE BOATING, by H. L. Stone, miutrated with

jiagranifl. Here have been kroii^t together all the aTaihd>le in-

fcnrmation on the ocgamzation and mstoiy of io&hoatuic, the build"
ing of the Tarions types of ioe yachts, from the small 15 footer to
the 600-foot racer, together with detailed plans and specifications.
Foil information is also given to meet the needs of those who wish
to be able to bnild and sail their own boats bnt are handicapped by
the lack of proper knowledge 9b to just the points described m this
Tolnme.

28. MODERN GOLF, by Harold H. Hiltoiu i&.

IBlton is the only man who has ever held the amatenr champion-
ahip of Great Britain and the United States in the same year. In
adaption to this, he has, for years, been recqpiized as one of the
most intelligent, steady plavers of the game in England. This book
fis a product of his advanced thooght and experience and gives the
reader sound advice, not so much on the mere S¥dnging of me dubs
as in the actual playing of the game, with all the fiictors that enter
into it. He discusses the nse of wooden dubs, the choice of dubs,
the art of approaching, tournament play as a diistinct thing in itself
and kindred subjects.

29. INTENSIVE FARMING, by L. C Corbett.

A discussion of the meaning, method and value of intensive methods
in agriculture. This book is designed for the convenience of prao*
ticalnrmers who find themselves under the necessity of maViTig a
living out of high-priced land.

30. FRACnCAL DOG BREEDING, by Williams

Hayn^ This is a companion volume to PRACTICAL DOG
K££PING, described below. It aoes at length into the fbnda-
mental questions of breeding, such as selection of types on both
sides, die perpetuation of desuable, and the elimination of undesir-
able, quafities, the value of prepotency in building up a desired
breed, etc The arguments are illustrated with instances of what
has been accomplished, both good and bad, in the case of well-
known breeds.

31. PRACTICAL DOG KEEPING, by Wmiamfl

Haynes. Mr. Haynes is well known to the readers of the OUTING
HANDBOOKS as the author of books on the terriers. His new
book is somewhat more ambitious in that it carries him into the
generalfieldof selection of breeds, the buying and selling of doaa,
Sie care of dogs in kennels, handling in bench shows and field triius,
and at considemble length into such subjects as food and feedings I
ej^erdse and grooming, disease, etc ^

J

OUTING PUBLISHING COMPANY— NEW YORK

32. PRACTICAL TREE PLANTING, by C. R.

Pettis. The author, who is the New York State Forester, takes up
the general suhject of reforesting, covering nature^s metJiod and the
practical methods of broadcast seed-sowing, seed spot planting,
nursery practice, etc The various species are descrihed and their
adaptaoility to varying conditions indicated. Residts of reforesting
aye shown and instructions are given for the planting of win£
breaks and shade trees.

33. AMATEUR RODMAKING, by Perry D.Frazcr.

Illustrated, a practical manual for all those who want to make
their own rod and fittings. It contains a review of fishing rod his-
tory, a discussion of materials, a list of the tools needed, description
of the method to be followed in making all kinds of rods, including
fly-casting, bait-fishing, salmon, etc, with full instructions for wind-
ing, varnishing, etc

34. PISTOLANDREVOLVERSHOOTING,byA.L.

A. Himmelwright. ^ A new and revised edition of awork that has
already achieved prominence as an accepted authority on the use of
the hand gun. Full instructions are given in the use of both revolver
and target pistol, induding shooting position, grip, position of arm, etc
The book is thoroughly ulustratea with diagrams and photographs
and includes the^vnues of the United States Revolver Association
and a Ust of the records made both here and abroad.

35. PIGEON RAISING, by Alice MacLeod. This

is a book for both fimcier and market breeder. Full descriptions
are given of the construction of houses, the care of the birds, pre*
paration for market, and shipment. Descriptions of the various
breeds with their markings and characteristics are given. Illustrated
tvith photographs and diagrams.

36. FISHING TACKLE, by Perry D. Frazer. 11-

Instrated. The subtitle is descriptive. **ffints for Beginners in
the Selection, Care, and Use of Rods, Reels, Lines, etc.^ It tells all
the fisherman needs to know about making and overhauling ~
tackle during the closed season and gives full instructions for tr
■ament casting and fly-casting. Chapters are included on casee
holders for the care of tackle when not in use.

OUTING PUBLISHING COMPANY— NEW YORK

37. AUTOMOBILE OPERATION, by A. L,

Brennan, Jr. Dliutnited. Tells the plain tnith aboat the little
things that every motorist wants to know about his own car. Do
yon want to core ignition troubled Orerhanl and adjust yonr
carbureter? Keep your transmission in order? Get the maximum
wear out of your tires? Do any other of the hundred and one
tilings that are neoessarr for the oreatest use and enjoyment of your
car? Then you will find this book usefbL

38. THE FOX HOUND, by Roger D. WiUiams.

Author of ^^Horse and Honnd^. Illustrated. The author is
the foremost authority on fox hunting and foxhounds in America*
For years he has kept the foxhound studbook, and is the final source
of information on all disputed points relating to this breed. His
book discusses types, methods of training, kenneling, diseases and
all the other practical points relating to the use and care of the
hound. An appendix is added containing the rules and regulations
of hound field trials.

39. SALT WATER GAME FISHING^ by Charles

F. Holder. Mr. Holder covers the whole field of his subject
devoting a chapter each to such fish as the tuoa, the tarpon, amber*
jack, the sail fish, the yellow-tail, the king fish, the barracuda, the
sea bass and the small mne fishes of Florida, Porto Rico, the Pacific
Coast, Ha¥raii, and the Philippines* The habits and habitats of the
fish are described, together with the methods and tackle for taking
them. The book concludes with an account of the development
and rules of the American Sea Angling Clubs. Illustrated.

40. WINTER CAMPING, by Warwick S.Garpenter.

A book that meets the increasing interest in outdoor life in the oold
weather. Mr. Carpenter discusses such subjects as shelter equipment*
dothing, food, snowshoeing, skiing, and winter hunting, wild life in
winter woods, care of frost bite, etc It is based on much actual ex*
perience in winter camping and is fully illustrated with working
photographs.

41. LEARNING TO SWIM, bv L. DeB. Handley.

Illustrated. Mr. Handley takes up the problem from the standpoint
of the person of any sex or age who cannot swim a stroke. Step by
step he unfolds die various stages, floating, the side stroke, the
crawl, the trudgeon, the breast stroke, swimming on the back, etc,
concluding with a chapter on speed swimming and training for rac-
ing. It covers the whole field of natation in a clear, simple manner,
with photographs showing each stroke in detail.

42. BOAT AND CANOE BUILDING, by Victor

Slocum. All of us like to think we could build a boat if we had
to. Mr. Slocnm tells na how to do it. Designs are given for the
various types of canoes as well as lull descriptions for preparing the
material and putting it together. Small dorieg and lapstceak boats
■Isoinduoe^

OUTING PUBLISHING COMP ANYONE IV YORK

43. PRACTICAL PROSPECTING, by Charles

Johnson Post* niustratecL Did you ever wonder what ore-
bearing rock looked like? Did you ever want to know how to test
it for the yarions minerals? Would yon be interested in learning
how to pat together a rough and ready outfit that would do all the
work or the more expensive kits ? This book covers all these points
and more. It is a valuable companion for a walking trip throu^
the hills. It tells you not only where minerals are found and how,
but also where yoa need not expect to find thenu

44. BOXING, by D. C Hutchison, practical in-

stmction for men who wish to learn the first steps in the manly
art. Mr. Hutchison writes from long personal experience as an
amateur boxer and as a trainer of other amateurs. ELis instructions
are accompanied with full diagrams showing the approved blows
and guards. He also gives full directions for training for condition
without danger of goinff stale from overtraining. It is essentially a
book for the amateur who boxes for sport and exerdse.

45. TEPJNIS TACTICS, by Raymond D. litde.

Out of his store of experience as a sucoessnil tennis player, Mr.
Little has written this practical guide for those who wish to know
how real tennis is played. He tells the reader when and how to
take the net, discusses the relative merits of the back-court and
volleying game and how their proper balance may be achieved;
analyzes and appraises the twist service, shows the fundamental
necessities of successful doubles play.

46. THE AUXILIARY YACHT, by H. L. Stone.

Combines information on the installation of power in a boat that
was not designed especially for it with the features desirable in de»
ttigning a boat for this double use. Deals with the peculiar propexw
ties ofthe auxiliary, its advantages and disadvantages, the handling
of the boat under sail and power, etc Does not go into detail on
eujodne construction but gives the approximate power needed for
di&rent boats and the cahmlations necessary to find this figure.

47. TAXIDERMY, by Leon L. Pray, illustrated with

diagrams. Being a practical taxidermist, the author at once goes into
the question of selection of tools and materials for the various stages
of skinning, stuffing and mounting. The subjects whose handluig
is described are, for the most part, the every-day ones, such as
ordinary birds, small mammals, etc., although adequate instructions
are included for moimting big game specimens, as well as the pre-
liminary care of skins in hot climates. Full dtagrams accompany
the teit.

OUTING PUBLISHING COMPANY— NEW YORK

48. THE CANOE— ITS SELECTION, CABE AND

1JSE9 by Robert £. Pinkerton. ninstrated with photognplis.
With proper use the canoe is one of the eafestf crafts that floats.
Mr. Pmkerton tells how that state of safety may be obtained. He
giyes full instructions for the selection of Uie right canoe for each
twrticalar puiiKMe or set of conditions. Then he tdls how it should
be used in order to secure the maximum of safety, comfort and use-
lulness. His own lesson was learned among the Indians of Canada,
where paddling is a high art, and the use of the canoe almost as
much a matter of course as the wearing of moccasins.

49. HORSE PACKING, by Charles J. Post.

Illustrated with diagrams. This is a complete description of the
hitches, knots, and apparatus used in making and carrying loads of
Tsrious kinds on horseback. Its basis is the methods followed in the
West and in the American Army. The diagrams are fiiU and detailed,
giving the various hitches and knots at each of the important stages
so that even the novice can follow and use them. It is the only
book ever published on this subject of which this could be saio.
Full description is given of the ideal pack animal, as well as a cata-
logue of the diseases and injuries to which such animals are 1

50. RAINY DAY IN CAMP, by C H. dandj.

Illustrated. What do you do when you are stormbound in the camp
and time hangs heavy on your hands ? This book gives a long list
of games that you can play and the rules that govern them. It also
describes various improvised indoor occupations appropriate to
camp life. If you have it in your duffle bag yon need not fear the
approach of tlureatening clouds.

51. WALKING OUTFITS, by C P. Fordyce.

Illustrated. Every year the adherents of *liikiiig^ in this country
grow in numben and enthusiasm. It is an old art and a valuable
one. But something more than a pair of legs is necessary to make
the walking trip a success. You must wear the right shoes and the
right clothes. You must carry with you the right kind of sleeping
and cooking outfit. Mr. Fordyce ^ves the concentrated ezperieneo
of many years on hif^way and traiL

52. LEARNING TO SKATE, by J. F. Verne.

Illustrated. Half the fun of skating is in knowing how to do if
with the least effort. Nothing is so easy when yon Know how — or
so hard when you don*t. This book describes the process in detail
from the first day on the ice to the highest development of
speed and fancy skating. The author is familiar with the^ latest
developments in Europe where figure skating has beeaxamed to
a much higher point than in America, ^^fy

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JAIV 6 - 1948

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JAIV 6 - 1948

JAIV 6 - 1948

JAIV 6 - 1948