CHAPTER I 



WORK AND RECREATION IN THE CLOSED SEASON 



A one of the fly- and bait-casting tourna- 

 ments of the National Association of 

 Scientific Angling Clubs, a visitor who 

 had been an angler all his life, but who de- 

 sired to become proficient in casting with the 

 fly-rod, asked if, in purchasing a tournament 

 fly-rod, it would be advisable for him to begin 

 with a rod of say nine feet and eight ounces, 

 practice with it awhile, then purchase one of ten 

 or eleven feet, and so on, his idea being that 

 he would be sure to get the wrong sort of a rod 

 at first, but would ultimately learn what was 

 best. There are thousands of anglers who 

 view the purchase of fishing tackle in this light 

 I am well aware. To them it seems that there 

 is something mysterious connected with rods 

 and tackle and that they can only master de- 

 tails after wasting some money. 



ii 



