ISO CASTING TACKLE AND METHODS 



Some have thought that by eliminating the reel- 

 handle we would dispense with a great deal of the 

 trouble, and so we have the free-spool, a really splen- 

 did winch which has been discussed in the first sec- 

 tion of this book, but even the free-spool must be 

 thumbed. No, in all but those reels provided with 

 the self-thumbing mechanism, all depends upon the 

 sensitiveness and sensibleness of the ball of the press- 

 ing thumb. You must learn to thumb the reel and 

 no man may teach you. The amount of 'pressure 

 required will depend upon the weight of the lure, 

 character of the rod, quality of the line and reel, 

 etc. ; in fact, so many elements enter into the prob- 

 lem which the caster alone can determine, that, in the 

 slang of the day, "It's up to him." The only way to 

 thumb, is to thumb. 



Pressing the ball of the thumb against the rough 

 surface of a rapidly revolving line-laden spool is 

 rather severe upon the thumb, as the line is more or 

 less rough and saturated with water. Some casters 

 use a "thumb stall," or wear a glove, though either 

 destroys that fine control which is possible without. 

 As a consequence more and more casters are coming 

 to employ a method known as "thumbing the end- 

 plate." Instead of pressing the thumb against the 

 line, it is pressed against the end-plate. One advan- 

 tage of the method not often mentioned is found in 

 the fact that the size of the end-plate never alters, 

 while the caliber of the spool grows less as the cast 



