Tackle 55 



does, the pull on the line in playing a fish does 

 not exceed the weight shown by the scale. With 

 sometimes twenty to fifty yards of line under water 

 the salmon will generally, if not always, get a much 

 greater pull than three pounds, as he has to over- 

 come the friction of the water on the line in addi- 

 tion to that of the bent rod and the resistance of 

 the reel, even when going straight away. More 

 frequently, however, he goes across-stream or in a 

 diagonal direction to its current, which greatly 

 increases the strain on the line. If after going 

 down-stream the fish turns and runs up, " drown- 

 ing the line," as it is called, he has to pull up 

 against the current the whole weight of the sub- 

 merged line until the angler can get below him, 

 which is often impracticable. In these cases the 

 tension on the line is very much greater than a 

 straight pull of three pounds would indicate, and 

 a large amount of effort on the part of the salmon 

 is exerted before the result of it is felt on the rod. 

 In towing a boat up-stream with a long line, if it 

 becomes " bellied " by being slack and carried 

 out in the stream by the current, a large amount 

 of power, has to be exerted by the horse or man 

 pulling the boat along, before the boat feels it at 

 all, the line having first to overcome the force 



