CORK DRUMS FOR REELS 59 



the tendency toward backlashing, and it will lose 

 its cylindrical form after repeated casting, 

 causing one's thumb to press hard at one place 

 and skip at another. After use the silk casting 

 line must be wound on a dryer or coiled on a 

 smooth surface until thoroughly dry, and as 

 such a line is generally one hundred yards or 

 more in length, it is a nuisance to take off the 

 dummy, too, but as it gets wet and will not 

 dry on the reel, off it comes or it would ruin 

 the silk line. 



If you use a long-spool reel in casting, with 

 a line thinner than H size, you will need a dum- 

 my i or \y inches in diameter. A good plan 

 is to fit cork disks on the spool. These can be 

 obtained at cork stores. Either vaseline bot- 

 tle corks or rod grasp corks will serve. Select 

 four perfect corks, and with an old ferrule 

 cut holes through the exact center of each one, 

 concaving the ends of two, so that they will 

 fit the convex spool ends. Take the spool out 

 of the reel while fitting corks. Split all of the 

 corks from the central holes to the rim, using 

 a very thin sharp knife blade. 



Obviously the hole in each cork must be a 

 trifle larger than the spindle of the spool, over 

 which the end corks are to be fitted first. After 

 fitting the end corks, slip the third one into 

 place, and while there is room, coat each cork 



