120 FISHING TACKLE 



can cast during your novitiate with a regular 

 double tapered line, but there is something 

 better. The fishing line is thirty yards long. 

 As the taper on each end is from twelve to eigh- 

 teen feet, the total length must be made up by 

 a level middle, or belly. With a line of this 

 sort you can work out just so far, and there you 

 are stopped because the belly of the line is too 

 heavy to shoot. 



The logical thing to do is to cut the line, 

 splice a length of small level line on to the belly, 

 for a back (or shooting) line, and make the 

 front taper longer, by splicing a few feet of level 

 line on the end. 



So far, so good; but what must be the propor- 

 tions of leader, taper, belly, back line? you ask. 

 If I knew just how far you could cast three 

 times out of four, I could give you exact form- 

 ulae; but as I do not, the only thing left is to 

 strike an average. In handicapping contestants 

 it is customary in some clubs to place one who 

 has no record in the seventy-five foot class; 

 that is, on the safe assumption that he will cast 

 that far, at least, with a little practice. Make 

 up a line based on that rule. 



With this line you can work out until the 

 rear end of the belly is in your hand or on the 

 rod, but not farther up than the middle joint. 

 When that point is reached you must either 



