FISHING THE PACIFIC 



sinker of 2/4 ounces and a nylon line of 12- to 18-pound 

 breaking strength. Linen lines are not very much favored 

 along the beach because they become waterlogged and in 

 that condition do not leave the reel as well when casting. 

 They tend to wash about in the currents of the surf and re- 

 quire heavier sinkers to retard their progress when, as often 

 occurs, there is a drift along the beaches. The surf is really 

 rough— perhaps the most rugged you will find anywhere. 

 However, I have never had any trouble with Cuttyhunk line 

 since most of my fishing there was confined to squidding. 



The sinkers preferred by Australians are of the nonanchor- 

 ing type, usually a rig of spherical form with about a two- 

 foot leader fitted with brass rings on its way to the fishing 

 leader. The Australian's term "rigged" is equivalent to our 

 "running." They like their sinkers to move slowly with the 

 current, not to anchor nor to race. They use the same gear 

 for spinning except that no wire leaders are employed. At 

 times they also use braided silk hne and like their nylon to 

 test about 1 5 pounds. 



As elsewhere, many claims are made to long casts in Aus- 

 tralia but Southam asserts that under normal fishing condi- 

 tions very few anglers throw a bait over three hundred feet, 

 and very few achieve even that distance. 



It may come as a surprise that all Australians surf cast with 

 level winding reels and prefer them particularly for squid- 

 ding. Although since the dollar shortage the Australians have 

 made a few good reels of their own and have tried to imitate 

 some of the American models, they are all keen about our 

 popular surfcasting reels as well as our bait-casting rods. 

 Their one-piece rods are made of special split cane and they 



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