38 LAKE AND STREAM GAME FISHING 



I do not think it is necessary to use a line of 

 greater test strength than 12 or 15 pounds for 

 ordinary casting, unless, of course, you are casting 

 for musky, northern pike or pickerel. For general 

 bass casting a 1 5-pound test line will more than fill 

 the bill and at the same time keep your line down 

 to a size that will make your casting far easier than 

 with the heavier and more bulky line which piles up 

 on your reel so quick that it fouls on the reel pillars 

 and makes casting about as enjoyable as handling 

 a towline on a tug. 



DRY YOUR LINE AFTER FISHING 



One of the simplest ways to put a good line out 

 of the game is to let it dry on the reel; do this a 

 few times, Buck, and your line is n. g., no matter 

 what high quality goods you started with. When 

 dried on a reel, only the top layers of the line really 

 dry; the balance molds and rots so that it is in fine 

 shape to break when you hook that big one. All 

 of which points to the fact that you should reel out 

 your line after each day's fishing, hang it between 

 two convenient trees and let it dry out thoroughly 

 before putting it to bed. Don't let it lie along the 

 ground or dry out in the sun, and with the above 

 care you will add 100 per cent to the life of any line. 



Another way to put a good casting line on the 

 hummer is to use it for trolling. No matter how 

 many swivels you may have on your line while troll- 



