The Black Bass 



ing or trolling the minnow or spoon. Snells 

 should likewise be made of the best silk- 

 worm fiber, three to four inches long for 

 artificial flies, and not less than six inches 

 for bait-fishing. It is no advantage to stain 

 or tint leaders or snells, as they are more 

 readily discerned by the fish than those of 

 the natural hyaline color; and the more 

 transparent, the less they show in the 

 water. 



And now as to reels. A light, single- Fishing Reels 

 action click reel is the best and most appro- 

 priate for fly-fishing, and may be either all 

 metal or hard rubber and metal combined, 

 the former being preferable. It can be 

 utilized for still-fishing also, where long 

 casting is not practiced. But for casting 

 the minnow a multiplying reel of the finest 

 quality is required, and the thumb must be 

 educated to exert just the right amount of 

 uniform pressure on the spool during the 

 flight of the minnow, to prevent its back- 

 lashing and the resultant overrunning and 

 snarling of the line. This can only be mas- 

 tered by careful practice. As most fine 



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