58 PRACTICAL BAIT CASTING 



brake, is then necessary. The drag has no value from 

 a casting standpoint. Some beginners cast with the 

 click "on" instead of learning to thumb the spool 

 this is "bad medicine" for the reel. 



Both click and drag are controlled by thumb buttons 

 in head of tail plate, or by a milled wheel in the rim 

 of head and tail box. Just where these are located 

 is a matter of small moment to the average caster. 



Some reels are jeweled by having a piece of agate, 

 garnet, or sapphire set in the center of the oil cap. The 

 end of the pivot or end thrust runs on this and it no 

 doubt reduces friction. This is called "cap jeweling." 

 Hole jewels are jewels set in the pivot bushing and 

 take the wear the whole length of the pivot. In the 

 higher grade reels, cap jewels cost about $4 extra and 

 we consider it a good investment, while the cap and 

 hole jewels cost $10. We doubt if any but the most 

 expert tournament casters have any need of jeweling 

 of this kind. Incidentally, one of the makers of high 

 grade reels has discontinued furnishing hole jeweling 

 because he considers it unsatisfactory. 



The oil caps of some reels are made 'compensat- 

 ing." That is, when the reel becomes worn the cap 

 can be tightened slightly to take up lost motion, and 

 this no doubt is a valuable feature in the lower priced 

 reels. 



The frame, spool, and end plates of a reel are either 

 of nickel plated brass, hard rubber and brass, hard rub- 

 ber and German silver, German silver, or, rarely, Ger- 

 man silver and aluminum. Of course the brass and 



