The Black Bass 



and the handle to the right, the rod is held The Right Way 

 at nearly its balancing point, with the rod 

 hand partly over the reel, with the index 

 or middle finger, or both, just forward of 

 the reel, to guide the line on the spool in 

 reeling. The click reel being entirely be- 

 hind the rod hand, and underneath, at the 

 extreme butt, the rod can be grasped at its 

 balancing point by the left hand, and the 

 line reeled with the other. 



Where the multiplying reel is placed The Wrong 

 on top, with the handle to the right, and 

 the thumb used for guiding the line on the 

 spool, there is a constant tendency of the 

 reel to get to the under side, where it prop- 

 erly belongs. To overcome this wabbling 

 of the reel, and to insure more steadiness, 

 the butt of the rod is braced against the 

 stomach by the reel-on-top anglers — cer- 

 tainly a most ungraceful and unbecoming 

 thing to do with a light rod. With the 

 tarpon or tuna rod, and with the reel either 

 on top or underneath, a socket for the rod 

 butt becomes necessary in playing a very 

 heavy fish. 



35 



