APPENDIX. 321 



the head of the stretcher-fly. Moreover, the flies must 

 not be allowed to sink, but must be retrieved immediately 

 in order to get the line well out behind, which is the great 

 difficulty in distance-casting. In actual fishing the angler 

 is considered an expert who alone and unaided can strike, 

 play and land a five-pound trout or a fifteen-pound salmon. 

 Those are tests of skill that far exceed casting ninety feet 

 in an open pond with a top-heavy rod. 



Reels have kept up with the march of improvement in 

 fishing tackle, and are now made much lighter and stronger 

 than in days gone by. Hard rubber has taken the place 

 of metal to a great extent, making the reel very much 

 lighter. Aluminum has been tried, but, though very hard, 

 it is a metal of poor texture, so that the screws do not 

 hold, and the reels soon get loose and shaky, while at the 

 same time it is expensive. There are several patented 

 trout reels for getting large barrels to wind the line on 

 quickly, or to expose it to the air so that it will not rot. 

 Most of the fine reels are made of German silver, and 

 with works as carefully constructed as those of a clock, 

 for the striped bass reels must run with absolute perfec- 

 tion. A valuable invention of Messrs. Abbey & Imbrie 

 provides for the adjustment of the bearings, so that any 

 wear can be readily taken up, and the reel kept in good 

 condition without expense. It consists of the use of steel- 

 screw pivots easily adjusted, which reduce the friction 

 to a minimum. 



There is an endless variety of spoon baits now made 

 for the angler to select from ; among them the most ad- 

 mired are the "fluted spoons" and the "mottled pearl," 

 including the new Florida pearl spinner, with a body of 

 white pearl, combined with a mottled revolving spoon. 



