136 FISHING TACKLE 



they say, they were consistent in lifting ninety 

 feet of line for every cast of eighty feet ! Learn 

 to shoot, as that is the secret of all distant cast- 

 ing. With a properly balanced tournament line 

 it is seldom necessary to lift more than eighty 

 feet of line in order to make a cast of one hun- 

 dred feet, and it is possible at times to shoot 

 the line much farther than twenty feet. Work 

 out until the small back line is reached, then hold 

 the line there, wait for a good back cast, and 

 shoot. Strip in and try again. 



One of the chief faults in distance casting 

 is the putting of too much strength into the for- 

 ward cast. Too many casters try to " slam " the 

 line, and this slam ends with a snap that carries 

 the rod into or near the water, effectually kill- 

 ing the shoot. They have no point of aim, as 

 the archers say. Practice until you can keep this 

 in mind at every cast. Fix your attention on 

 some distant object that appears to be about 

 thirty feet higher than the loo-foot mark. Aim 

 for that point, and never let the rod tip go 

 below it. If you end the cast with a snap, the 

 tip of the rod vibrates violently at the very in- 

 stant when it should stop dead in order to per- 

 mit the line to slide freely through the guides 

 in the shoot. 



Look at the matter from another angle. 



