THE WINCH. 



you can see the glitter for a considerable dis- 

 tance, and I believe the fish see it as plainly ; 

 but if the winch is bronzed, you at once do 

 away with the glare. 



The improved bronzed winches are amongst 

 the latest improvements in the angler's equip- 

 ment; their advantages are, extreme lightness, 

 absence of the annoying glitter of the brass, 

 and instead of the handle being made in the 

 old style, it is fixed to and turns with one 

 plate of the winch, thus preventing the line 

 catching round the handle and locking the 

 winch. 



In addition to the brass and bronzed winches, 

 there are others of hard wood ; some fisher- 

 men prefer these. Instead of allowing the 

 line, in spinning, to lay at their feet in the 

 usual manner, they throw the line directly 

 from the winch, using rather a long rod, and 

 wind it in again on to the winch, instead of 

 drawing it in with the hand. But as the wooden 

 winches, or reels, run very easy, they require 

 considerable care in use; for if the line is 

 thrown from them with the least jerk, when the 

 bait has dropped in the water and the line 

 stopped running, the winch will continue run- 

 ning and wind the line the reverse way, often 

 entangling it and getting it info knots. These 

 winches, however, through running easy, are 

 of considerable advantage in other descriptions 

 of Jack-fishing, as will be seen in Chapter V., 

 on live-bait fishing. 



