REELS. 43 



and others the rack, because it presents a greater 

 resistance to the running off of the line : but these 

 advantages are counterbalanced by their liability to 

 go wrong, particularly the multiplier ; and we have 

 known anglers who have lost a salmon by the rack 

 catching at a critical moment. A plain wheel will 

 sometimes allow the line to run off too freely, but this 

 is the angler's fault, who, in playing a trout, should 

 regulate the amount of stress to be laid on it by the 

 hand entirely. Keels have been greatly improved 

 in shape of late years ; they are now made much 

 deeper, and not so broad, thus allowing the line to 

 be run off more easily, and be wound up more quickly. 

 The size of the reel should always bear some pro- 

 portion to the size of the rod. A large reel seems 

 quite out of place on a small rod, and vice versa. 



Lines are now usually made by a machine, and if 

 care be taken in their construction, they can be made 

 much better in this manner than by the hand. They 

 can be bought at such a moderate price, that it is 

 not worth any angler's trouble making them for 

 himself. They are made of horse-hair, or a mixture 

 of hair and silk ; those made of hair entirely are 

 more durable than any other kind, as they are not 

 so liable to rot as all lines are of which silk forms a 

 component part. The latter, however, are stronger 

 for their bulk, and are much more easily thrown 

 two considerable advantages. Lines made entirely 

 of silk, prepared in some patent manner, are now in 

 very common use, and seem likely to supersede every 



