Lines. 45 



The "tapered" line, E and F sizes, costs eight cents a 

 yard, while the " level " line, size E, costs seven and a 

 half ; F and G six cents a yard. It seems to me, after 

 some little experience with both, that the latter casts so 

 nearly as well that, after taking into account its greater 

 longevity, it is to be preferred. After some years, dur- 

 ing which nothing but a tapered line was in my judg- 

 ment appropriate to one at all nice in his fishing, circum- 

 stances hereafter related forced me to resort to a level 

 line. My opinion and practice then changed a change 

 I have since seen little reason to regret ; and judging 

 from the remarks of other anglers in frequent discussion 

 of the subject, it would seem that the -tapered line does 

 not now enjoy the favor of a few years since. 



Again, no person of experience casts a longer line 

 than the necessities of the case require. The eighty 

 feet casts of the tournament have little or no place in 

 practical fishing ; and when casting, the line is kept 

 out of the water as much as possible, so that only a few 

 feet of its outer end is constantly wetted. As these 

 lines are practically never taken from the reel to dry, 

 after a greater or less lapse of time the strength of that 

 portion becomes impaired. The expert angler never 

 thinks of inaugurating a new season without carefully 

 testing the strength of this part of his last year's line, 

 breaking it off at the slightest suspicion of weakness, a 

 foot or two at a time, until sound material is reached. 

 Now in the tapered not only does this decay, because of 

 the smaller diameter, reach the danger point much 

 sooner than in the level line, but it extends farther up 

 the line ; and if any part must be sacrificed, it is the 

 tapered portion which must go. The result is that the 

 tapered line, after a couple of seasons, becomes a " level " 



