The Sunfisb Family 49 



tion. Moreover, I reel my line toward me 

 through undisturbed water, while you whipped 

 the entire distance by several preliminary casts." 



" That is necessarily true," answered the Doc- 

 tor ; " but while you must recover all of your line 

 for a new cast, I can cast repeatedly with the 

 extreme length of my line in any direction ; so I 

 think honors are easy on the question of casting." 



" But," persisted Shiner, " with my quadruple 

 multiplying reel, it is only a matter of a few 

 seconds to prepare for a new cast. Then again, 

 I have better control of a hooked fish, and can 

 give and take line much faster than you with your 

 single-action click reel." 



" While I grant your reel has a great advantage 

 in speed, I hold that a single-action click reel is 

 all-sufficient to play and land a hooked fish. Your 

 reel is intended particularly to make long initial 

 casts, and it is admirably adapted for that especial 

 purpose ; but in playing a bass it has no advan- 

 tage over a click reel ; in fact, I prefer the latter 

 for that purpose. Really, the engine of destruc- 

 tion to the hooked fish is the rod. Its constant 

 strain and yielding resistance, even without a reel 

 of any kind, will soon place him hors de combat." 



Golden Shiner was not slow to perceive the 



