88 AMATEUR RODMAKING 



ment inside, push it home, and when it is cold 

 drill a hole in it and into the butt of the rod, 

 drive a brass pin home and file it off flush with 

 the surface of the cap. Wipe off surplus ce- 

 ment. 



In fitting the reelseat over the pine sleeve, 

 place the hooded end down, so that in fitting 

 the reel to the seat the band will pull down 

 and in this way bring the reel near the hand, so 

 that the index finger will grip the cork shoulder 

 and render your control of the reel and rod 

 firm. If the yoke of the reel fits the seat as it 

 should, and the band is tight, the reel will never 

 work loose, even in a long fight with a big fish. 



The three-quarter-inch commercial reelseat 

 is about 4^2 inches long, and for bait-rods the 

 correct way in theory, at least is to fit it 

 with the sliding band at the bottom, so that the 

 band will push forward over the reel-yoke and 

 counteract the tendency of the reel to work 

 loose in playing a fish. Fitted with the hood 

 on the upper end of the reelseat, the reel goes 

 so far forward that more than an inch of the 

 seat is exposed, and the right hand must grip 

 this metal instead of the firmer and less slip- 

 pery cork or cord wound grasp; hence, the 

 shape of a well-formed grasp counts for less 

 than it should. 



