30 BOTTOM FISHING IN THE NOTTINGHAM STYLE. 



trouble does come upon us, it is reduced to a minimum by being 

 easily pulled off straight, and wound on again. The other por- 

 tions of this reel are the same as has been already described. 

 There is another reel, lately brought out by Mr. P. D. 

 Malloch, of Perth, that must have a minute's notice \ but I can- 

 not, try as I will, give it such a favourable notice as I have 

 given to the improvement of Mr. Slater. Mr. Malloch's reel 

 in its present form will never supersede the ordinary Not- 

 tingham reel for general Nottingham fishing. This reel is of 

 rather a peculiar shape ; peculiar, because when the line is 

 thrown from it, it does not revolve as a Nottingham reel 

 should do. Before the cast is made, this reel, or the portion 

 of it that contains the line, is shifted half round till it faces 

 the rings of the rod, and when the cast is made, the line 

 comes from it just the same as pulling line endways from a 

 bobbin. It is impossible to throw the very light Nottingham 

 roach tackle with this reel, or traveller fish for chub and 

 barbel down a stream, Nottingham style ; it can only be used 

 as a casting reel for pike, &c., and even for that it is open to 

 strong objections, for the bait must go where it likes, and 

 cannot be checked at the will of the angler by pressing his 

 finger on the edge (the same as he can with an ordinary 

 Nottingham reel) any time during its flight through the air. 

 Then, again, supposing the angler is casting over a shallow 

 part of a still- water lake or sheet of water that has its bottom 

 covered with a beautiful growth of weeds, before he could 

 shift the reel into its proper position for winding the bait 

 home, the latter would have plenty of time to sink to the 

 bottom and take firm hold of the weeds with its hooks, thus 

 spoiling his cast, and any chance of fishing those places that 

 are often the most productive of sport. Then, again, the 

 maker claims for it the power of casting a lighter bait than 

 can be cast with an ordinary Nottingham reel ; but this is 

 impossible, for with a " centre-pin " I have cast out the very 

 lightest float tackle, and even thrown the very lightest 

 minnow tackle used, at least twenty-five yards or more. 

 I am aware that it may be possible to throw a bait with 

 it a greater distance than can be cast with an ordinary 

 Nottingham reel, but there we must stop ; and I am con- 



