CHAPTER V 

 THE LINE. 



NEXT to the reel the line is the most important 

 part of the bait caster's equipment. It requires 

 more, and gets less, attention than any part of 

 the outfit. Silk is, so far, the only material suitable 

 for casting lines. For years manufacturers have tried 

 to find a substitute. Linen of various kinds has been 

 tried as well as cotton and other materials, but they 

 are unsuitable to begin with or soon develop some de- 

 fect. 



But to go to the tackle store and to simply ask for 

 a silk line is not enough, because there are a great many 

 kinds of silk lines. There are the oiled silk, and sever- 

 al different varieties of enameled lines, for instance, 

 used in fly casting. Braided silk is the only line suit- 

 able for bait casting. But to complicate matters there 

 are also several different kinds of braided silk lines. 

 There is soft braid, hard braid, round braid, square 

 braid, cored lines, and water-proof lines. There is 

 also the question of size or strength. From this lay- 

 out the beginner is expected to pick something suitable 

 and he has a man-size job on his hands. 



In choosing a casting line we again bump into the 

 eat-your-cake-and-have-it bugaboo that dogs our steps 



72 



