3 o PRACTICAL BAIT CASTING 



then pulled from the reel, between the reel and the first 

 guide, and allowed to fall at the caster's feet in loose 

 coils in the bottom of the boat or on the shore. The 

 bait is then swung out, pendulum-fashion, straight ahead 

 by lifting and swinging the rod, the coiled line running 

 through the fingers of the left hand. The outgoing 

 line is stopped by the fingers and then you proceed 

 as in casting a fly. That is, the rod is pointed straight 

 out parallel with the water and all slack is taken up 

 with the left hand. Then the rod is swung back 

 straight over the shoulder and the bait allowed to strike 

 straight behind. As soon as it strikes (you can feel 

 and hear it), it is cast forward again. The forward 

 cast is made straight over the shoulder. Push hard 

 with the thumb and use plenty of wrist action. 



As the bait starts forward, the line held in the left 

 hand is permitted to run out between the fingers, but 

 is stopped as soon as the bait strikes the water. The 

 bait is then retrieved by pulling in the line with the 

 left hand, the rod being held parallel with the water 

 again for quick striking. The fish is played by manip- 

 ulating the line with the left hand and not with the 

 reel. This, together with a spring of the long rod, 

 gives the angler complete control over a hooked fish. 



When fishing from shore the bait can seldom be 

 cast behind the angler, but the forward cast is started 

 as soon as the bait "pulls" from behind. 



The "side swipe" is also employed in strip casting, 

 not so much line being pulled through the tip top of 



