LINES AND REELS. 35 
I find this stain is now very generally used in the 
tackle shops. 
WINCHES OR REELS. 
Reels may be broadly placed in two divisions—metal 
and wooden. The latter I dismiss as being unsuited to 
anything but “ Nottingham fishing,” of which more here- 
after. The former, as every fisherman knows, are 
divided into three classes: — “plain,” “check,” and 
“multiplying.” Of these I think there can be no doubt 
that the “ multipliers” combine the greatest number of 
disadvantages with the fewest recommendations, as they 
are expensive, very apt to get out of gear, and almost 
useless either for winding ina large fish, or for giving 
line to one of any other size. 
The “plain” brass reel has at least the merit of being 
piain—in the sense of simpleness and inaptitude for get- 
ting out of order ; but it has two great drawbacks, which 
exist also and to a still greater extent in the wooden 
reel, or pirn as it is called in Scotland, viz., that when 
the line is pulled out strongly either by hand, or by a 
fish, the wheel twists so rapidly as to “over run” itself, 
thus producing a sudden check, which at a critical junc- 
ture is very likely to cost the loss of the fish and the 
tackle. It is also, for another reason, very unsafe when 
playing a fish, as, should the pressure of the hand be for 
an instant removed from the line, the latter runs out so 
freely as to produce sudden slackness,—an evil perhaps 
D 2 
