84 THE FINE ART OF FISHING 



desired direction for the cast, the pressure of the thumb 

 on the reel is slightly, not entirely, released; while the 

 line is running out the thumb is constantly pressed very 

 gently on the revolving reel-spool, as otherwise the reel 

 will revolve faster than the line pays out through the 

 guides and a backlash will result. 



The whole philosophy of the thing is in educating the 

 thumb to regulate the reel speed and out-running of the 

 line. Finally, when the cast has been made and the line 

 is being reeled in, care must be taken to wind it evenly 

 on the reel. Of course, at the end of the cast when the 

 bait reaches the water the rod is shifted from the right 

 hand to the left so that the right hand may be used on 

 the reel handle. So, for winding the line evenly on the 

 reel spool in the retrieve, guide it with the thumb of 

 the left hand, grasping the rod above the reel with that 

 hand. Casts of from sixty to eighty feet are quite suf- 

 ficient for good fishing. 



In the overhead cast the rod is brought directly back 

 over the shoulder, taking care not to allow it to go too 

 far down behind, and then swung quickly forward. 

 Otherwise the principles are the same as for the side 

 cast. The overhead cast should be started rather 

 slowly, increasing in force, and the line released when 

 the rod tip is about over the caster's head. The rod 

 should be so held that when the line is running out the 

 side plates of the reel are parallel with the water, with 

 the handle-bar on top. 



