FISHING REELS 



The barrel of the reel being quite large, the line is 

 taken up rapidly, from which it is evident that 

 there is no probability of a fish getting any slack 

 line with such a reel. It is used principally for 

 trout-fishing, and within its limitations it does 

 its work well after one becomes accustomed to its 

 use. Many anglers are quite enthusiastic in its 

 praise. 



It is a sine qua non for the one-armed angler, 

 and a boon to the nervous angler whose fingers 

 become all thumbs under the excitement of hook- 

 ing a good fish. But to the cool and steady hand, 

 the simple click reel is far preferable, as he has 

 the fish always under control, and can feel its every 

 movement ; whereas the spring of the automatic 

 reel assumes and arrogates to itself this office, leav- 

 ing the angler nothing to do but watch the give- 

 and-take contest between reel and fish, until the 

 latter is exhausted. He has allowed a machine to 

 do what should really be a part of his sport, — 

 another power to come between his quarry and 

 himself. 



For myself, the greatest pleasure is not the cast- 

 ing of the fly, or the hooking of the fish, but it is 

 the playing and skilful management of the fish 

 from the strike to the landing-net ; and I prefer 

 to do this myself, without the intervention or aid 

 3*5 



