462 PRACTICAL LESSONS IN THE GENTLE CRAFT. 



from many of the well-known Nottingham tackle manufac- 

 turers, and no one does them better than Wells, of Sussex 

 Street, Nottingham. They are made of deal, beautifully 

 balanced, well whipped and ringed, with substantial fittings, 

 and for float work a man can have no better rod in his 

 hands. For legering, however, they are a bit too " kittle," 

 and from the frail nature of the material employed in their 

 manufacture it is obvious that at the best of times they 

 require a delicate hand, and an absence of anything like 

 pully-hauly business. Otherwise a smash is about as 

 likely to ensue as an explosion if one dropped a hot coal 

 into a barrel of powder. In the hands of a workman these 

 rods are simply perfection for floating, and so beautifully 

 light that the longest day never tires. And now as to the 

 winch, another important auxiliary. Wooden pirns, or 

 Nottingham winches as they are more generally called, as 

 well as those made of vulcanite, are so thoroughly well 

 made, and so cheaply put together nowadays, that no one 

 would dream of using any of the old-fashioned brass 

 furniture that formerly pertained to the rod. Reels can 

 now be had combining two actions, the one being the free, 

 easy run, so necessary to the practice of float-fishing with a 

 long run down-stream, the other, a check action, obtained 

 by simply pressing a spring on the reverse side of the 

 handles, which impels a little catch downwards, the point 

 of the bolt-shaped catch nicking into the cogs of a wheel 

 fitted upon the centre pin, thus obtaining the most perfect 

 check. Pressure backwards upon the spring relieves the 

 cog wheel, and the winch then runs upon its centre pin 

 with the velocity of " greased lightning." Such a winch as 

 this is the best that can be used, the only drawback being 

 and of course there must be something is that if it be 

 manufactured from wood and one gets out on a soaking 



