154 THE PIKE 



made that it revolves freely. Most of these reels 

 have an optional check which, by touching a button, 

 can be brought into use when a fish is hooked. One 

 modern improvement in checks on reels is to have 

 the double spring made with unequal powers. In 

 the ordinary check, I should explain, there are two 

 springs, one which acts as the fish runs the line off 

 the reel, the other coming into use as the line is 

 reeled in. As there is no reason why the hand 

 should be checked when the line is being wound 

 up, the winding-in check-spring is made as light as 

 possible, while the check-spring on the out-going line 

 is made of sufficient strength to put the required 

 pressure on the fish. As I have explained, by merely 

 moving a button the check can be taken off alto- 

 gether and the reel allowed to run quite freely for 

 casting purposes. 



An important point which not every pike fisher is 

 aware of, is the effect the weight of a large barrel has 

 on accurate casting. Once a heavy reel has been set 

 in motion, it gains impetus and usually revolves too 

 freely, but the effort of starting it is apt to check the 

 bait, which is likely to swing round and go in a some- 

 what different direction to that which the angler 

 aimed at. If a man always fishes with one particular 

 reel, and always uses a spinning bait and rod of the 



