BAIT CASTING. 



99 



is pointed downward and to the right, the angle being about 

 thirty degrees from the line of the shoulders and it is 

 swung across before you to the left, to a line of thirty de- 

 grees from the shoulder line on that side, at the same time 

 swinging it upward by bending the elbow, and when it 

 reaches the limit of its movement the butt should be level 

 with the left shoulder. The butt has started at the right 

 hip and traveled to the left shoulder, and the elbow has 

 moved across the front of the body, but close to the body 

 all of the time. The rod must not be swung too far or 

 the bait will go to the left of the place you have in view. 



Thumbing the Reel. 



The best casts are made by swinging the body somewhat 

 along with the movement of the forearm and the entire 

 movement must be steady, so that there is no jerk, and so 

 that the end of the rod stops when the arm stops. 



The instant the bait touches the water the pressure on 

 the reel spool is increased so that the reel stops, and the bait 

 is allowed to sink some distance beneath the surface. At 

 the same time the rod is taken in the left? -hand so that the 

 right hand is free to reel in the line. The line is reeled in a 

 few yards, then a pause, then a few yards again. When 

 it is brought in quite close it is all reeled in again and 

 another cast made. When reeling in line, the line must be 



