24 AN ANGLER'S YEAR 



the fish comes on the rod, and if light tackle is used, if 

 the rod does not spring, a smash occurs. Of course for 

 easy tides and shoal waters such lines are unnecessary 

 and indeed in some cases are harmful, as, where the tide 

 is slack, the wire line fishes too much under the boat. 



As regards reels also great improvements have 

 lately been made. After many trials it has been found 

 that the most convenient form for sea use is a wooden 

 Nottingham pattern with a 5 to 7 inches diameter and a 

 drum of about 1 to 1^ inches less. These reels require 

 a brass inner plate and lining to save warping, and are 

 preferably optional check, while the spring, cog-wheel, 

 &c., are of brass or gun-metal so as to avoid corrosion 

 by sea water. The handles are made pear-shaped, 

 which allows of a firm hold being obtained by cold and 

 wet hands. The writer's own winches for moderate 

 depths (8 to 15 fathoms) are 5 inches in diameter each, 

 with the drum of the hemp-line winch 4^ inches and that 

 for the wire-line 5 inches, in diameter. It will be noted 

 that the American system of the multiplying winch does 

 not seem to have met with any favour over here as yet, 

 although tarpon, tuna, and black sea bass have been 

 killed with it on the other side. In conclusion, it may 

 be said to those fellow-anglers who pride themselves on 

 their conservatism : " Try all recent improvements ; 

 they are not fads of the moment, for they tend to lift 

 our amusement further into the regions of true sport." 

 Who would go fishing for salmon with a cart-rope and 

 a meat hook, and why should we sea-anglers be less 

 sportsmen on the sea than we are when fishing on the 

 river or the lake ? 



As a last suggestion to old sea-anglers, I would respect- 

 fully submit that eyed salmon hooks, tied with the 

 figure-of-eight knot (Fig. 6) on gut (either single, double, 

 or twisted) immediately before using, are the best value 

 in the end, as they are of properly tempered metal, 

 and do not break or bend, and may mean the capture 

 of the fish of the season. It is as well to tie afresh 

 before each excursion, as the steel quickly perishes the 

 gut where in contact. 



