SALMON FISHING 125 



days' fishing will spoil the ten yards getting the greatest 

 friction ; therefore, like all other tackle, only in a greater 

 degree, this especially requires carefully looking over and 

 testing each day. As soon as the varnish wears off, the line 

 becomes so sodden when in use that the least wind blows it 

 into kinks, and makes it impossible to throw even a fairly 

 long cast. For this reason, the minnow-fisher must perforce 

 part with a portion of his line every few days, when as soon 

 as this has been several times repeated, then the value of 

 the stuffing becomes apparent. The Malloch reel is a pleasant 

 one to use in a high wind, as it does away with any chance 

 of the line being blown into a tangle ; but, except under 

 those conditions, we prefer to throw from the hand, for with 

 this reel it is impossible to cast to an inch, while the action 

 of righting it after making each cast allows the bait to sink 

 very deep. Though this is desirable in high water, in a re- 

 verse state of affairs it allows the lure to sink so far under the 

 surface that it is for ever catching in rocks, and anyone fishing 

 a Malloch reel in low water will get hanked up, and have to 

 break much oftener than if the cast were fished off the hand. 



A single gut trace a yard long, with three swivels in it, 

 looped on to a similar one of treble gut, six feet with six 

 swivels, entirely does away with any kinking of the reel line ; 

 the successor to the late Brown, the phantom-man of Aber- 

 deen, supplies these of excellent quality at a moderate price, 

 and for flies with all other Dee tackle we can strongly re- 

 commend him. In the earlier editions of the Badminton 

 Library there is an illustration of the tackle used for spinning 

 the natural minnow, which we ourselves gave to Mr. Chol- 

 mondeley Pennell on purpose for that book, as he very 

 courteously acknowledges. 



A large carpet or darning needle with the eye cut through 

 is the best form of baiting needle, and these may be very 

 quickly made in quantities by heating the eyes to soften the 

 steel, when as soon as they are cold a file will cut a slit in the 



