96 SALMON FISHING 



naturally grateful that some other method has 

 been developed, enabling him to enjoy a form 

 of angling which, however rightly it may take 

 second rank to fly-casting, is an art requiring a 

 great deal of practice, patience, and perseverance 

 for its effective and perfect accomplishment. 



The present methods of spinning for salmon, 

 date back but a few years. One may now see 

 casting-rods, reels, and lines specially suitable for 

 the work, in use on rivers where twenty years 

 ago, anything in the nature of spinning was done 

 with the fly-rod in a very primitive way, entailing 

 great labour and producing little result. This was 

 improved upon by the introduction of more suit- 

 able rods of about 14 feet, which in their turn 

 have given place to those of the present form 

 and length. 



The rod must be light and powerful, not 

 exceeding 12 feet in length, as it must be 

 borne in mind that it is held in the left hand 

 after making the cast, to allow the free use of 

 the right to attend to the reel and line. As in 

 fly-casting, too stiff a rod is undesirable. It 

 should have sufficient play in the butt, to cast 

 the bait softly and with ease in the desired direc- 

 tion. These rods are made of greenheart, cane, 

 or built cane with or without steel centre. The 

 joints must be firmly secured, and the handle 

 arranged with the reel seat sufficiently far from 



