162 PRACTICAL BAIT CASTING 



from the water, and swung into the boat with one mo- 

 tion this requires practice. 



The caster should learn to land his own fish as he 

 may do some fishing alone. This is done, after the 

 fish has been played, by holding the rod with the rod 

 hand extended so that it curves over the top of his 

 head and the landing net or gaff hook is manipulated 

 with the other hand. This is best done by kneeling 

 in the bottom of the boat ; otherwise one may literally 

 get a taste of "fisherman's luck." 



WEATHER AND OTHER THINGS INFLUENCING 

 FISHERMAN'S LUCK 



For ages fishermen have pondered over the question 

 of why fish will "bite" well on one day and not on 

 another. Some anglers attribute their success or fail- 

 ure to "luck" and let it go at that, while others be- 

 lieve that the weather exerts considerable influence 

 on the fish. The seasons of the year affect the feed- 

 ing habits of the fish and we all know that the fish 

 are apparently more hungry, or at least bite better, 

 in the spring and fall than in midsummer. 



Coming to the subject of weather, we are of the 

 opinion that the weather three or four days previous 

 to the time we try our luck has as much to do with 

 the results as the conditions prevailing while we are 

 on the water. Generally, the ideal fishing day is 

 what any non-angler would call a "nice day" when 

 the atmosphere is clear, the weather invigorating, the 



