144 Fly-rods <md Fly-tackle. 



These defects only become apparent in actual use on the 

 stream, to the utter demoralization of the angler. There- 

 fore a reel so made should be rejected ; and that such 

 should not be bought unawares, the dealer should be 

 questioned as to how the click is made, or the buyer 

 should insist that the reel be taken apart. Indeed, if 

 he does not already know how to do this, he should 

 insist on being shown, since annual cleaning, oiling, etc., 

 will be advisable, and he should be able to do this with- 

 out injury to the reel by experimental efforts directed to 

 this end. 



Another objection to the o*eel as at present made, 

 though by no means so serious, is the smallness of the 

 axle on which the line is wound. This seldom exceeds 

 the diameter of an ordinary lead-pencil. Thus at first 

 hardly an inch of line is taken up to a complete revolu- 

 tion of the spool, while it is always retrieved with a 

 slowness neither desirable nor necessary. Some seek to 

 overcome this by first enlarging the axle with ordinary 

 twine, upon which the line is then wound, others by 

 using multiplying or automatic reels. 



The illustration on the following page shows the form 

 of reel I make for my own use, and it is the best in prin- 

 ciple of which I have knowledge. 



In this reel each side of the spool is cast separately. 

 These are faced off on the inner sides, soft-soldered to- 

 gether, and six holes equally spaced are drilled through 

 both. Thus these holes correspond exactly. I then 

 unsolder the sides. Then six short wires (a a a in the 

 diagram) are made of this form, 

 and by inserting the smaller ends 

 in the holes, and soft - soldering, and then riveting the 

 ends down, the sides of the spool are rigidly and per- 



