THE CASTING REEL 47 



costing $30.00, there are a hundred men casting 

 with winches that cost much less. Even though you 

 can afford it I would not advise you to buy an expen- 

 sive winder before you have learned how to cast and 

 how to care for a reel. Neither would I subject a 

 fine reel to the hard service sometimes demanded 

 of them in new country or upon a rough trip ; do not 

 take me as intimating that these "aristocratic win- 

 ches" will not stand up under grief; they will, but 

 they are too good to be so treated. That there is a 

 logical place for the low-priced reels is admitted by 

 all manufacturers of high grade tackle: witness the 

 medium priced reels upon the market bearing such 

 names as "Meek" and "Milam," names that we as- 

 sociate in our minds with only that which is best and 

 most expensive. Always the angler progresses from 

 the low-priced reel to the more expensive and per- 

 fect grades if he can afford to do so, if not he re- 

 mains a user of the low-priced reel to the end of his 

 angling days, satisfied and well content. My pur- 

 pose is not to disturb his self-content, or make him 

 envious. The more low-priced reels in use, the more 

 men there will be evolving towards the better 

 winches. 



There is no joy quite equal to that of possession. 

 Confucius was right: "The secret of life is in the 

 possessive pronouns." To own a good reel, ah, that 

 is the dream of every angler once he becomes en- 

 amoured with casting. It may be years before he 



