76 CASTING TACKLE AND METHODS 



with not a little pride. We went down to the boat 

 and, he laid his rod down in the loose sand instead 

 of setting it up on laying it upon a log conveniently 

 near. I promptly picked it up, mentally praying that 

 no sand had entered the gearing; had it been one of 

 my self-winders I do not know what I would have 

 done, for I did not want to offend him. In the boat 

 it was just the same, he handled that cherished winch 

 as though it was an object of little worth, while in 

 truth it cost considerably more than the watch he was 

 carrying. The matter came to a climax when he 

 manufactured a back-lash, calmly removed the reel 

 from the rod, placed it on the dirty boat floor, and 

 actually kicked it over to me. I nearly died of heart 

 failure. I forthwith suggested that he do the row- 

 ing and I the casting, a suggestion which met with 

 his approval because "the fish were not biting 

 anyway." 



Such an incident as the foregoing to a lover of 

 rods and reels seems an utter impossibility, but alas, 

 it is far too common. I have loaned tackle. How- 

 ever it may serve as a text for a little exhortation 

 upon the necessity for high-grade tackle. Once the 

 rodster possesses a classy winch, for which he 

 lavishes $20.00 or more, he will never treat any reel 

 with disrespect. Consistently I have urged good 

 tackle for twenty years, knowing from my own ex- 

 perience that nothing will react more salutarily upon 

 the angler. Ofttimes friends near and far have 



