76 PRACTICAL BAIT CASTING 



tact with it. Avoid fastening lines to rusty nails 

 when drying them or placing the reel in a tackle box 

 that is rusted inside. 



Nearly all waters are more or less alkaline which 

 sometimes has a chemical action on silk, especially 

 when the stream or lake is fed by mineral springs 

 containing iron salts. The action of alkalies and other 

 chemicals shows on colored lines by fading them quickly. 

 Mildew and sweat rot are caused by minute organ- 

 isms in the water getting into the fiber of the line 

 and then decomposing. This decomposition generates 

 heat and soon spoils the silk. 



When the caster fishes in water that deteriorates 

 his lines quickly he should use water-proof lines or at 

 any rate oil his line. Better still is the now popular 

 "dry line casting" which wets only the last few feet 

 of the line except of course when a fish is hooked and 

 played. In this style of fishing the rod is held a little 

 higher than usual and when a backlash occurs, the 

 untangled line is not stripped from the reel, per- 

 mitting the line that is out to become water-soaked, 

 but it is taken into the boat and the snarl is then un- 

 tangled. It is decidedly more pleasant to fish with 

 a dry line and it permits much nicer work. There 

 is really no necessity of wetting more than the last 

 two or three feet of line. 



Different casters use different methods of line econ- 

 omy. Practically all dry their lines after using, as 

 this is necessary to prevent it rotting on the reel. Lines 

 should not be dried in the sun if it can be avoided; 



