20 PRACTICAL BAIT CASTING 



Grass or snow is preferable to bare ground on account 

 of the wear the line gets on the latter. 



The only tackle necessary in learning is a rod, a 

 quadruple multiplying reel, a silk-line (preferably soft 

 braid), and a weight of about 4 f an ounce, which 

 can be either a dipsey sinker or a minnow-shaped piece 

 of wood. Later on the beginner can work down to 

 the regulation J^ ounce and Y^ ounce tournament 

 weights. If one learns by casting in water, let the 

 weight be a regular artificial bait, either a surface bait 

 or a wobbler, as these will float while back-lashes are 

 being untangled. 



Let us assume that the beginner is going to learn on 

 the lawn. Let him peg down a newspaper forty feet 

 away as a target, which should be left at that distance 

 until he can hit it regularly. 



The reel should be placed firmly in the reel seat on 

 top of the rod. Some writers advise the beginner to 

 place the reel down or on the bottom of the rod, but 

 this is for a different style of casting (which we will 

 deal with later on), consequently this warning may be 

 necessary. See that the guides on the rod are all in a 

 line, then run the line through each guide and out at 

 the tip-top (top guide so called) and tie the weight 

 to the end of the line. 



The rod should be grasped firmly with all four 

 fingers around the grip and the thumb pressed against 

 the line on the reel. Some casters thumb the flange or 

 spool-end of the reel instead of the line. The prin- 



