8 LAKE AND STREAM GAME FISHING 



the old orchard, when a kid. You'd push your 

 switch through a nice, juicy apple, swing it back 

 over your shoulder, sweep it forward, and away flew 

 the apple which you hoped would land on Fatty 

 Jones' skypiece. Well, Old Man, outside of the 

 thumbing of the reel, that's the motion of bait-cast- 

 ing just downright ordinary switching apples. 



You are all ready now, so get in the box, 30 feet 

 from the target, and face it. Take the rod in your 

 right hand, let the plug hang down about six inches 

 from the tip, the reel on top with the thumb pressing 

 on the line wound on the spool of the reel, and the 

 fingers of course around the grip of the rod. Before 

 bringing the rod back over the shoulder to start the 

 cast, twist the wrist to the left enough to bring the 

 top of the reel towards your body, and the spool of 

 the reel nearly vertical. In this position swing the 

 rod back over the right shoulder until the plug hangs 

 on a line with your belt. The rod will then be at 

 about a 45 degree angle with the ground, and your 

 hand near your right ear. This much is for posi- 

 tion, and the cast starts from this point, differing 

 therein from fly-casting which starts from the first 

 upward sweep. 



KEEP THUMB PRESSURE ON REEL 



From this position swing the rod forward with a 

 swift firm sweep, increasing the speed as the rod 

 swings forward all this time the thumb pressure 



