FLIES AND FLY FISHING. 47 



The play of the rapidly tapered off ones is not only bad, 

 but, when killing a fish, they are weak just in the place 

 where they ought to be strongest. 



THE KEEL 



Should be made of some dark metal, of a narrow groove, 

 and with deep sides, and with the handle attached to the 

 side plate, not made with a crank as the line is apt to 

 catch round the latter. For large rivers it ought to be 

 capable of holding fifty yards of line, on small ones twenty- 

 five yards is sufficient ; for white trout, about eighty yards 

 of line. 



The plain check reel is the best. The check ought to be 

 just strong enough to prevent the line running out with- 

 out sending in the hook. For my own part, I always use 

 an entirely plain reel without any check, instead of which 

 I keep one finger on the line ; but without you are in 

 constant practice this is dangerous. 



Multipliers and all complicated reels are an abomination. 



The cross bars of the reel, over which the line runs, 

 should be made of some hard material, to prevent the line 

 cutting into them ; this is not sufficiently attended to by 

 the makers. 



All reels should be fastened on to rods in the ordinary 



