LINES AND REELS. 35 



of sulphur with it, and heating in a Florence flask. I believe quick- 

 lime in boiling water will also dissolve sulphur. 



W. Robinson. 



jgth ytdy, iSyj. Late Captain Bojnbay Army. 



Winches or Reels. 



Reels may be broadly placed in two divisions — metal 

 and wooden. The latter I dismiss as being unsuited to any- 

 thing but " Nottingham fishing," of which more hereafter. 

 The former, as every fisherman knows, are divided into 

 three classes : — " plain," '"check," and " multiplying." Of 

 these I think there can be no doubt that the "multipliers" 

 combine the greatest number of disadvantages with the 

 fewest recommendations, as they are expensive, very apt 

 to get out of gear, and almost useless either for winding in 

 a large fish, or for giving line to one of any other size. 



The " plain" brass reel has at least the merit of bctJig- 

 plain — in the sense of simpleness and inaptitude for get- 

 ting out of order ; but it has two great drawbacks, which 

 exist also and to a still greater extent in the wooden 

 reel, or pirn as it is called in Scotland, viz., that when 

 the line is pulled out strongly either by hand, or by a 

 fish, the wheel twists so rapidly as to " over run" itself, 

 thus producing a sudden check, w^iich at a critical junc- 

 ture is very likely to cost the loss of the fish and the 

 tackle. It is also, for another reason, very unsafe when 

 playing a fish, as, should the pressure of the hand be for 

 an instant removed from the line, the latter runs out so 

 freely as to produce sudden slackness, — an evil perhaps 



