86 Sporting Sketches 



frequently sends the line out the first time to 

 straighten kinks and get it wet, then recovers it hand 

 over hand, letting it fall upon itself in easy coils, then 

 baits and sends it out for fish. 



The rod or pole outfit is preferable for streams in 

 which the water is deep near the bank; indeed, 

 many boys esteem it above the handline for fishing. 

 Because the average boy cares little for, or cannot 

 afford, a fancy rod, that article need not be dwelt 

 upon. Cheap jointed rods are a nuisance, and 

 neither so good nor so satisfactory as a springy cane, 

 or a trim, wiry pole cut by the fisher's own hand. 

 The line should be about twice the length of the 

 pole. It is best made fast near the butt, then car- 

 ried with a few turns round the pole to the tip, and 

 then again made fast. Thus rigged, a broken pole 

 does not necessarily mean lost tackle, or even a lost 

 fish. Many boys scorn a float, yet it is a very useful 

 thing. An old cork split half through is away ahead 

 of a store float. It can be attached or detached in 

 a moment, and as easily shifted along the line ; it 

 costs nothing, and cannot be very well injured. The 

 sight of a cork tied fast crosswise of a line is a hint 

 of greenness which no free fisher will fail to observe. 



The actual fishing of the free folk is a thing 

 so subtle, yet comprehensive, so broad, yet full of 

 detail, that it is not to be speared offhand by a 

 smooth-nibbed pen, nor marshalled into serried col- 

 umns of hard-featured type. It is, however, possible 

 to follow even an active boy's erratic trail for a few 

 miles, so let us attempt the task. 



It is a flawless morning, and^the air is rich with 

 the magical sweetness of the spring. In garden, 



