82 TROUT-FISHING FOR THE BEGINNER 



very good American bait-casting rods made 

 of tubular steel, which stand an enormous 

 amount of hard wear. The best short spin- 

 ning rods, however, are made of split bamboo, 

 greenheart, bethabara and other woods. 



In conjunction with such a rod a special 

 reel and line are required. The line is of 

 dressed silk, and thinner than that used when 

 fly-fishing. When casting a minnow or other 

 spinning bait, the line should run off the 

 reel easily, with no tendency to stickiness. 

 Cast from an ordinary free-running reel, the 

 line, unless checked as the bait enters the 

 water, will overrun, and form what is com- 

 monly known as a " back lash." A section 

 of line so tangled is most difficult to undo, 

 so nowadays several patent reels have been 

 invented, which entirely do away with any 

 chance of such a contretemps. One of the 

 best of such reels is known as the " Silex." 

 It is actuated by a finger-lever, which, when 

 pressed, allows the reel to run freely ; when 

 the lever is released, the reel is instantly in 

 check. Attached to the line is a trace about 

 If yards long. This is in three lengths of 

 gut, or very fine twisted wire, with two or 

 three swivels to prevent it from twisting when 

 the bait is spinning. 



The bait consists of a natural minnow, 



