NIGHT BAIT-CASTING 51 



rod that has the weight and stiffness to help bring 

 him to gaff ! 



For even the most experienced caster to go on a 

 night casting jaunt with the ordinary reel is sure a 

 gambling chance. Backlashes fall to the lot of the 

 cleverest thumber and one of them at night comes 

 under the head of what old General Sherman called 

 war. To avoid this, tote along a little old antiback- 

 lash reel, for if there ever was a place for the self- 

 thumber, it is in night-fishing. A level winding at- 

 tachment also comes in handy, as spooling the line 

 evenly in the dark is some trick without one. A 

 level winding reel runs a close second to the self- 

 thumber for night work, and the advantage of the 

 self-thumber is so slight that a choice of the two 

 merely depends on which you happen to have in 

 your kit. A reel with the combination of the two 

 is a sure-fire winner in the dark. 



BE SURE OF YOUR LINE 



For the line, the number five or six, soft braided 

 silk, same as used for ordinary casting, is right. 

 The heavier line is better as the added strength may 

 come in handy and the casts are all short ones at 

 night, which will keep the little extra weight from 

 being noticed. Be sure your line tests out strong 

 before the trip, as the work of landing your fish will 

 be rougher than in the daylight, owing to the handi- 



