226 CASTING TACKLE AND METHODS 



is woefully hard for me to write of such fishing in 

 a dry, matter-of-fact way. At any rate I insist that 

 the lure of lake casting is found in something be- 

 side paraphernalia. 



No single item of the caster's outfit is of greater 

 importance than the boat, upon it, largely, depends 

 the success or failure of his adventure. The ideal 

 casting boat is stable but not heavy, and easy of 

 propulsion; to that end it should have a pointed 

 bow at least. I strongly incline to the skiff type, 

 though one of the finest boats for two from which I 

 ever cast was an eighteen-foot canoe supplied with 

 sponsons. The regular canoe is all right for those 

 of adequate skill there is a thrill and joy about 

 canoeing found in no other variety of boating 

 though for the reason that considerable skill is re- 

 quired on the part of the rodster and boatman, the 

 craft is not recommended here for general use. Do 

 not suppose that because a stable boat is advised I 

 mean that the rodster should use an unwieldly craft. 

 There are many boats upon the market, broad of 

 keel and sufficiently light for the purpose. I am 

 not in favor of the heavy square enders one some- 

 times sees at a resort, recommended for casting be- 

 cause of the square stern. They are hard to man- 

 age in anything of a sea, and worse, they are noisy. 

 The ideal boat should slip through the water with- 

 out a sound. I like bow-facing oars, for then I can 

 cast from the forward end of the boat, or manage 



