THE CASTING REEL 55 



winch; the name is a sufficient guarantee. There are 

 other take-downs upon the market, one I possess 

 being separated by removing the oil caps at either 

 end. When one can secure such quality reels as 

 these at the modest outlay required there is no ex- 

 cuse for employing a "tin" winch or brass winder. 



SELF-THUMBERS 



Perhaps no class of reels have come in for more 

 criticism and ridicule than the self-thumbers, in spite 

 of which the sales have gone on increasing from year 

 to year. As I have already remarked, for the man 

 with ample time at his ^disposal, there is nothing 

 quite so satisfactory as mastering the gentle art of 

 reel-thumbing; you may not become proficient with 

 the regular reel over night; weeks of practice is re- 

 quired. No man lives who does not upon occasion 

 manufacture a back-lash, in comparison with which 

 the famous Chinese puzzle is as a straight string. 



The anti-back lash or self-thumbing reel does to a 

 great extent eliminate backlashes. I have already 

 said the automatic thumbers are for a class of ang- 

 lers who have but little time to devote to casting and 

 must become more or less proficient in the shortest 

 possible time. With the automatic thumber the 

 average man can, after an hour's practice, cast his- 

 40 or 50 feet without backlashing as often as does 

 the old hand with regular reel. Indeed, the careful 

 man will all but eliminate back-lashes. 



