FOREWORD 



I am told that very few people read an introduc- 

 tion, a matter which I find it exceedingly difficult to 

 believe, for often the introduction is the best part of 

 a book; that is, when the introduction is not an 

 apology for the book. I make no apology for send- 

 ing out upon the great sea of books another volume 

 dealing with bait casting as practiced with short rod 

 and multiplying reel. It seems to me that there is 

 room for another work, not too technical for the 

 tyro, withal exact enough to prove of interest to the 

 old hand. It is not enough for a man to know tackle ; 

 he must also know fish; therefore I have divided this 

 book into two parts : Part I deals with tackle, while 

 Part II treats of methods. In both divisions I have 

 been as careful and painstaking as possible, repeat- 

 ing myself again and again for the sake of clearness. 



In Part I, I begin with a frank discussion of the 

 rod, its material, construction and length, answering 

 the questions which have so frequently been asked 

 through my department in Outdoor Life. Then I 

 take up the modern bait casting reel, tracing its de- 

 velopment from the old English single action. All 



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