28 THE PIKE. 



inch one is the best size ; it should not be less than four 

 inches, at any rate, and it ought to be made of good dry and 

 hard walnut, of pretty substantial build, and be fitted with 

 a strong brass cross-back. A moveable check' action is also 

 a very useful addition to these reels, as it can then be used 

 for all purposes and all styles of pike fishing. A good plain: 



Fig. 3. Plain Pike Reel, with Line Guard. 



spindle reel is my particular fancy. I don't strongly recom- 

 mend a centre-pin, although scores of good pike fishermen 

 use them. A pike reel such as I have described would run 

 from six to eight shillings. A working man need not spend 

 any more than that, as he would not find one of the most 

 elaborately got-up and expensive reels one little bit better 

 for all practical purposes. Some anglers say that they can- 

 not, try as they will, cast a bait direct from the reel in what 

 we call the Nottingham style. They either have to coil the 

 line at their feet, or else use one or other of the wonderfully 

 constructed reels that are supposed to be helps to this style. 

 It is not a very successful plan to coil the line at the feet, 

 because there are places where the angler has to stand knee- 

 deep among flags, reeds, thistles, thorns, and all sorts of 

 rank undergrowth, where the line would catch and be gene- 

 rally aggravating. One of the best-known of these casting 



