ROD fi- CREEL 51 



course happened, in spite of the enormous spoon and bright 

 water, he had a strike almost immediately and a good one too, 

 so much so that he almost lost his rod then and there. 



The fish, which was about twelve or thirteen pounds in 

 weight, made one jump and was off down stream. Of course the 

 man could not hold such a rod up even if he knew enough to do 

 so, and the fish took the line out straight from the reel. As it 

 happened the "reach" was a short one and the fish did not go 

 out, so he had line enough, but made another jump and then 

 came upstream with a rush. As it was impossible to reel in fast 

 with such a reel he had a slack line and the rod went right back 

 behind him and the line right across his body. To grab the line, 

 throw down the rod and haul in hand over hand was the work 

 of a second, and as the fish was coming straight at him his work 

 was easy. I have no doubt that at that time he had visions of 

 that fish keeping on coming right up on to the beach at his feet; 

 visions of his return to town in triumph ; visions of the stories he 

 would tell of the struggle and final capture; perhaps the fish 

 would go to some taxidermists and a cast be made so that his 

 prowess as an angler might be handed down to future genera- 

 tions. Alas ! if he had such visions they were soon dispelled, the 

 fish evidently had different ones. As soon as all the slack was in 

 and the fish felt the pull it made one more jump, not ten feet from 

 shore, just as if to give him a good chance to see what a perfect 

 fish he was, and then shot clean out into the swift current and 

 away down stream. The end came soon after as the line cut the 

 man's fingers and he let go : he had no time to pick up the rod as 

 it was going too fast so he put his foot on it and broke it in two 

 and the line having all run out, broke off at the reel, which was 

 all he saved from the wreck. 



To that man it was a fearful disaster, a calamity of the worst 

 nature, but in the end good resulted. He had learnt his lesson 

 and he profited by it, for he now fishes with suitable equipment 

 with some degree of skill and he hooks and lands steelheads and 

 salmon too. 



To return, however, to the subject. The ideal rod should be 

 an eleven foot split cane, steel centre, very similar to the salmon 

 spinning rod, though not so powerful, yet capable of casting one 

 ounce of lead. It must of course have upright rings of agate or 

 some other material. A good greenheart will do quite well and 

 I have even seen a plain bamboo, fitted with upright rings, turned 

 into quite a serviceable tool, though neither will compare with 

 the split cane. 



The Reel. This, unless you go in for spinning from the hand 

 in the old fashioned way, is the all important part of your outfit, 

 and if you cannot afford the best of everything, put your money 

 into your reel, as without one of the best your troubles will be 

 many and your success but small. 



