42 FISHING TACKLE 



(Courtesy of Wm. Mills & Son.) 

 Fig. 2. Light Click Reel. 



In fishing with the fly-rod the reel is em- 

 ployed mainly in playing a fish and in shorten- 

 ing line. In casting the fly or lure the actual 

 length of line is controlled by the left hand. 

 With it the line is pulled off the reel or stripped 

 in, to be held in one or more coils, and to be 

 wound up on the reel when it is necessary to 

 shorten line. But when a fish is hooked the 

 reel comes into play when there is too much 

 line out to control it by rod manipulation alone. 



This being true, there are only a few things 

 to consider in selecting a reel. It should bal- 

 ance nicely on the rod and be no larger than is 

 necessary to hold the line. Weight is a mat- 

 ter each angler must decide for himself. One 

 prefers a fairly heavy reel, claiming that it 

 balances the rod; another selects a light reel 



