THE ANGLER AND HUNTSMAN 91 



ginning of the forward stroke, and the time when the bait 

 strikes the water, the caster must shift the rod from his 

 casting hand to the other hand, ready for retrieving. Now 

 let this sink in deeply: The caster should have made this 

 shift and be ready to have the bait moving back toward him 

 the very instant it touches the water here lies much of the 

 secret of success, the secret of making them strike. It all 

 hinges on one's ability to make the bait look "live" and 

 full of action the very instant it touches the water. More 

 strikes are " coaxed" in this little instant of correct bait 

 action than are ever created by yards and yards of the most 

 careful reeling. 



In retrieving, hold the rod in the hand which has been 

 idle up to this point gripping it a little above the reel with 

 the thumb and index finger on the line so it can be " spool- 

 ed" evenly. 



As the barefoot boy was inclined to jerk vigorously at 

 the slightest indication of a nibble, so the caster by in- 

 stinct, probably, will be prompted to jerk immediately he 

 feels a fish strike. However, it must be remembered that 

 striking a fish is not so much a matter of force and strength 

 as it is of dexterity and quickness. So the angler must 

 learn to respond quickly and snappily in answer to the 

 slightest signal that his quarry is ready to fight. Care 

 should be taken in this respect if you wish to "kill" a max- 

 imum number of hits and still keep your outfit intact. 



All these factors mentioned may seem small each in 

 itself, but remember it is trifles that make perfection and 

 perfection is no trifle. So, be patient, practice; be precise 

 and persevere, and in a surprisingly short time you will 

 be known as belonging in the expert class in the art of Bait 

 Casting. 



Special Baits for Muskellunge: 



"King of the waters," this game fish is called, and 

 rightly does he deserve this honorary nickname. No bet- 

 ter fighter ever rose to the angler's lure. He rushes 



