436 MANUAL FOE YOUNG SPORTSMEN. 



admitted to be the best ever published, and I have there- 

 fore no hesitation in quoting them here for my larger 

 work. 



I propose, in this connection, to treat of this fine and 

 exciting sport, describing 



1st, The rod; 



2d, The reel; 



3d, The line ; 



4th, The leader, and train of hooks ; 



5th, The bait and flies ; 



6th, The bait-kettle ; 



7th, The boat and oarsman, or guide ; 



8th, The manner of striking the fish, when the bait is 

 taken ; 



And lastly, 9th, How to play, and gaff the fish. 



1st. THE ROD. A mutual friend, who writes occasion- 

 ally for the " Spirit" and who is a most skilful troller, 

 wrote an article which appeared in the " Spirit " in the 

 fall of 1848, signed " M., Maspeth, Long Island," in which 

 he gave a capital description on most of the above heads. 



The trolling-rod spoken of above, on page 380, will 

 answer all purposes. But the gentleman mentioned had 

 two of the most perfect trolling- rods I have seen; they 

 were made by Ben. Welch, of Cherry street, and are all 

 bamboo cane. I had one made by George Karr, of Grand 

 street, which I like very much ; and I will describe it the 

 best way I can, although it is no easy matter to describe 

 on paper a rod of any kind : Length from eleven to thir- 

 teen feet ; butt of ash, thoroughly seasoned, about one and 

 a., quarter inches in diameter, or about as thick as an 



