88 FISHING TACKLE 



less wet, so that it does not blister the thumb, as 

 casting on the lawn with a dry line is likely to 

 do until you have become accustomed to it. 



It is well to keep an accurate score, be it good 

 or bad, for this will show your improvement. 

 Make one or two preliminary casts, then cast 

 five times, scoring each cast, and divide the total 

 by five, to obtain the average, marking the best 

 single cast in each string, if you like. Count 

 every cast made, marking those in which the 

 reel overruns with a star, so that, later on, you 

 can tell whether these backlashes come less fre- 

 quently, as they should with practice. Do not 

 try to excuse them, for backlashing is discour- 

 aging in bass casting, and in a tournament it 

 ruins averages. Besides, if you could make five 

 perfect casts at every trial, you would lose in- 

 terest in the pastime. As in fishing, its uncer- 

 tainty is one of its greatest charms. 



There are plenty of mild days in winter when 

 two or three friends may practice comfortably 

 on the snow, and at this time uneven places that 

 cannot be utilized when the ground is bare are 

 admirable for casting. This is also a good 

 time to locate a place for next season's club or 

 group practice, and to make the necessary 

 equipment. If a stream or a pond is convenient, 

 locate a place for a platform, and even get the 



