54 SALMON AND TROUT. 



which will cut its way through a fierce March squall has beer> 

 so well recognised that in order to give greater ' cutting ' power 

 line-makers have even gone to the extent of manufacturing reel- 

 lines with wire centres. My friend Mr. Senior now informs me 

 that some he tried, made by Foster, of Ashbourne, answered 

 exceedingly well. I have used them myself also, and in squally 

 weather they certainly possess great * cutting ' power against or 

 across the wind. 



The salmon line that seems to command the greatest 

 number of suffrages amongst connoisseurs is what is known as 

 the * swelled line.' This line is gradually tapered thicker from 

 the end up to a point which it is calculated will generally come 

 near about the top of the rod in making a cast. Thus the 

 average length of the taper from the finest to the thickest part 

 is usually, for a salmon line, 15 to 20 yards, then tapering 

 off backwards until it reaches its finest point again at another 

 15 or 20 yards — i.e. 30 or 40 yards in all, where it is attached 

 to the ' back '-line. This is the line recommended by Major 

 Traherne (see article on salmon fishing). 



I find I get capital casting with the swelled line, both as 

 applied to trout and salmon fishing— in the former case the 

 swell or thickest point should be reached proportionally quicker, 

 say, for a single-handed rod in about 9 or 10 yards from the end. 

 The quantity of line, clear of the rod-point, that can be con- 

 tinuously used with the maximum of effect in lake trout fish- 

 ing with a ten-foot rod is, I find, about 18 or 20 feet— or nearly 

 twice the length of the rod— plus the casting line : i.e. 9 or 10 

 yards altogether. Deducting 3 yards for the casting line, this 

 would leave 6 or 7 yards as the point in the reel-line at which, 

 for ordinary lake work, the thickest point of the taper or ' swell ' 

 should be reached ; but as longer casts are often required, and 

 as, moreover, the same line will probably do duty for river 

 fishing as well, probably from 8 to 10 yards of taper will 

 be found the most convenient length. For a double-handed 

 trout rod, something between the proportions of a salmon line 

 and those last-named are applicable. If a level (untapered) line 



