/2 CASTING TACKLE AND METHODS 



Various "handle drags" or "brakes" have been 

 placed upon the market, easily among the best being 

 the Meisselbach people's "Governor." Produced 

 originally in large size for salt water reels, its utility 

 in heavy bass and muskellunge fishing was speedily 

 realized, and it was built for regular casting reels. 

 It is made of German silver with hard rubber handle, 

 2 7-16 inches long, its presence on the reel in place 

 of the regular handle hardly being noticeable. It is 

 essentially a crank, but made in three parts, fitted to 

 slip or revolve upon one another, and clamped to- 

 gether by adjusting screws which produce the re- 

 quired tension. The angler simply adjusts the screws 

 so that the drag will release the line before the 

 breaking point is reached; all he does then is to hold 

 the handle, secure in the fact that his capture can not 

 injure his tackle. I have found it of great value in 

 trolling. As was intimated above, the regular handle 

 is removed, the "Governor" taking its place as a 

 crank. In ordering, care should be taken to give 

 the size of the stem correctly, or the drag will not 

 work. Other drags of the sort examined by me are 

 very similar, so I let this represent the class. 



It will be noticed that some reels now-a-days have 

 double crank handles attached, and I deem the 

 attachment or improved handle of sufficient im- 

 portance to give it special mention here. At first 

 thought the angler might suppose it would be 

 ungainly or awkward, and it does so impress the 



