THE ART OF MODERN BAIT CASTING. 



BY FRED GARDNER. 



Bait-casting, when skillfully practiced, 

 is not only a most scientific, but proba- 

 bly the most pleasurable mode of ang- 

 ling for the greater majority of Wal- 

 tonian followers. A knowledge of how 

 to cast a bait with a short rod and mul- 

 tiplying reel, is worthy the careful con- 

 sideration of the seeker after outing 

 pleasure and pastime. The methods 

 employed in this art are very simple 

 and easily mastered, providing it is 

 practiced with an outfit especially de- 

 signed for the purpose, as it brings the 

 angler almost immediate reward, while, 

 on the other hand, they become very 

 annoying, perplexing and in many in- 

 stances disgusting when attempted with 

 improper angling implements. In fact, 

 it is impossible to become a successful 

 bait-caster without such a complete and 

 well arranged assortment of tackle as is 

 necessary to enable the angler to suc- 

 cessfully practice the art — tackle that 

 must be especially adapted and designed 

 for the purpose, which, when in use, 

 gives the sportsman only unalloyed 

 pleasure. 



A perfect knowledge of how to cast a 

 bait one hundred feet with a rod from 

 six feet to six feet six inches in length, 

 with a quadruple compensating reel, 

 and a bait weighing not more than one- 

 cjuarter of an ounce, is the end to be at- 

 tained. Unless the angler possesses these 

 requirements, the sport will not only 

 become disgusting and tiresome, but 

 will have the effect of driving him back 

 to the primitive ways of pot-fishing. 



After the rudimentary principles, such 

 as getting the line out without allowing 

 it to overrun, thumbing the reel prop- 

 erly and retrieving and spooling the 

 line, have been acquired, bait -casting 



then resolves itself into notldng more nor 

 less than trolling. Trolling, known the 

 world over for years as the most suc- 

 cessful mode of taking fish, is then the 

 principle of bait-casting. But trolling 

 in the art of casting is shorn of the fa- 

 tigue and monotony of sitting quietly in 

 a boat and being pushed over the water 

 in order to play the bait; it gives the 

 anglers absolute and entire control over 

 the bait and enables him not only to 

 cover a large area of water but to 

 drop it in out of the way places, fre- 

 quented for hiding by game fishes 

 watching for their prey, where it would 

 be an utter impossibility to troll. 



From the most careful observation of 

 anglers who call themselves bait-casters, 

 I have come to the conclusion that about 

 nine out of every ten know absolutely 

 nothing of the fine points of the art. 

 Science is thrown to the winds, and 

 often a frog as large as would cover a 

 man's hand is cast, creating a splash and 

 a thud when it is thrown that would 

 strike terror to the heart of the gamiest 

 fish that swims. It is, however, not my 

 province in this article to criticise, but 

 to point out the proper methods to be 

 employed, learned from practical ex- 

 perience. 



The capacity of being able to cast a 

 very light bait adds great independence 

 to the art, as the angler can select from 

 numerous artificial lures, such as spoon 

 hooks, phantom minnows and the like. 

 Again, when using either the minnow 

 or frog as a casting bait, it will be found 

 that with the smaller frog or minnow 

 the best results will be had. Thus it 

 will be seen that it is most essential in 

 this sport to be able to cast a light and 

 delicate bait perfectly. 



