48 



SCIENCE OF FISHING. 



tended to reel the fish in. The reel may be used for fly 

 fishing either above or below the hand, but works best below 

 the hand, as it balances the rod. and makes it handle better. 

 The reel should be of the smallest and lightest for light fly 

 rods. It is said that the automatic reel is an excellent one 

 for salmon fishing, but, of course, the largest sizes must be 

 used for this. 



All automatic reels are made on the same principle and 

 turn the spool by means of a long coiled or wound spring. 



An Automatic Reel in Use the Martin. 



The tension of the spring may be regulated to suit the rod 

 and the kind of fish that are sought. It should not be made 

 too strong if the rod is a light one. 



Reels for salt-water fishing are made similar to bait- 

 casting reels, but are shorter in proportion to their diameter 

 and are much larger. A reel for surf fishing should hold 

 two hundred yards of line, or more. The best are made of 

 German silver and rubber and have a "throw-off" to make 

 them free-spool, for casting. The reel should be equipped 

 with a leather brake, which is a piece of leather attached to 



