WHICH THE BEST SORT OF WINCH. 15 



pliancy. Many rods, the joints of which appear 

 too thick, possess more general elasticity than 

 rods made of thinner pieces. This is caused by 

 good material and good workmanship, the latter 

 producing the desirable balance I have already 

 described. Very stiff rods are never required, 

 except in rivers overhung by trees, when the hip, 

 or under-handed cast, is necessary. 



Winches are made perfectly in London. I 

 have a great dislike to deep and narrow ones. 

 They either diminish the true balance of the rod, 

 or impede the comfortable action of the hands 

 and arms in casting. They possess no intrinsic 

 merit, not even the alleged advantage of taking 

 in, or up line, with greater rapidity and regu- 

 larity — without danger of one coil hitching in, 

 or being caught, by the other, and so becoming 

 entangled. The depth and width of a winch 

 should be equal, or, if there be any difference 

 made, the width may be less than the depth by 

 half an inch, in reels that can carry from eighty 

 to one hundred yards of line. Multipliers are 

 properly repudiated by practical fishermen. The 

 well-finished check-winch is the best of all. It 

 must not be too free in its action, but just stiff 

 enough to keep the line taut when the fish darts 

 away with it, nor should it give out line when a fish 



