386 THE ANGLER. 



be of brass, and very strongly made in that part where it 

 fits on to the rod. Keels of other materials are light and 

 pretty to look at, but not serviceable. The line should 

 be plaited silk, free from kink, smoke coloured, and from 

 80 to 100 yards in length. Both reel and line should 

 be of a weight to suit the rod. The former should 

 balance the rod properly, the latter should be just the 

 right weight for the rod to cast : this knowledge can only 

 be gained by trial and experience. As regards putting 

 on the reel, some fishermen when the reel is uppermost 

 on the rod have the handle to the right. In fishing the 

 reel is of course under the rod, and when a fish is hooked 

 the rod has to be turned round to bring the handle to the 

 right. This is in my opinion quite an unnecessary 

 trouble. The argument for it is that the rod which is 

 strained one way in casting is strained the other way 

 when a fish is on, and thus kept straight. If, however, 

 the rod when not in use is laid down perfectly flat, and 

 shaded from the sun, there is no need for this precaution. 

 We next come to a very important item, viz. the casting 

 line. More fish are lost through the breakage of bad 

 casts than any other way. In the first place, as to length : 

 in very rough streams a 6-foot cast is long enough ; but 

 in the generality of pools it should be longer, say 9 feet. 

 Three feet at the extreme end should be carefully picked 

 and tested single gut, the remainder treble gut. When 

 really first-class salmon gut can be procured, the very 

 best cast of all is a single one ; but there is no gut of 

 this description in the market at present, so the treble 

 line has to be substituted. In choosing the latter the 

 important point is to see that the gut of which it is 



