The Outfit — Reels, 47 



below the despair mark, began to rise. Things went on 

 in pretty much the usual manner for another twenty 

 minutes or so, when the fish began another tour. Again 

 the reel struck work, the leader parted, and away went 

 the fish, carrying with it a new silver doctor-fly and its 

 owner's happiness. Words would fail to do justice to 

 the picture. There stood the angler and the seer blankly 

 looking at one another, each with his mouth open as 

 though he desired to prove to his vis-d-vis that the sud- 

 den and unexpected disappearance of the salmon was not 

 due to his having swallowed it. But let iis drop the cur- 

 tain, and shut out the scene that followed. 



This fragment has been recalled from the past to illus- 

 trate, and if possible to enforce, the absolute necessity of 

 a good reel. No human skill can avert disaster if this 

 indispensable part of the outfit refuses duty when fast to 

 a fish. It is like spiking the guns of an army in the 

 crisis of battle. 



That the spool of the reel has the capacity to receive 

 the line when wound carefully thereon, in peace and 

 quiet, and with the aid of some helping friend, is not 

 enough. When the result is of moment, circumstances 

 will preclude that care, and the angler must rely on his 

 own unaided efforts. In case of doubt, therefore, let the 

 error be on the side of excessive rather than deficient 

 capacity. 



A reel, the diameter of the spool of which is 3 j inches, 

 with a width between the outer margins of its sides of 

 If inches, will safely carry the desired length of one 

 hundred and twenty yards of ^-line. 



Other very important features are the mechanism of 

 the click, and the degree of resistance it offers. The 



