SALMON FISHING WITH THE FLY. 189 
ing with a powerful rod a moderately thick line is required, a 
thin line, as I have before remarked, being of no use. A reel 
four inches in diameter, with a drum of 13 inch in width, will 
hold thirty or forty yards of thick line for casting purposes, and 
too to 120 yards of thin back line—in all about 140 yards, which 
is long enough for any of our rivers. The majority of fisher- 
men use a thick line, of the same thickness from end to end ; 
but, as I think it may be taken for granted that forty yards only, 
at the outside, are required for casting purposes, nothing is gained 
by the remainder of the line being of the same thickness. 
I will endeavour to show that there is a great disadvantage 
in using a continuous thick line, and that there is a good deal 
to be gained by using a line made as I have described. When 
fishing with a continuous thick line, should a salmon take a 
long run when hooked in a rapid stream, the pressure of the 
water upon the line is so great that, unless the casting line is of 
unusual strength, there is great risk of its getting broken. On the 
other hand, fishing with a thin back line, the resistance to the 
water in a like case is so much less, in proportion, that the 
chance of bringing the fish to bank is far greater and the risk 
of a break reduced toa minimum. Another advantage in using 
a thin back line is that the reel of the aforenamed dimensions 
will hold a far greater length of line’ The line I recom- 
mend, say thirty or forty yards, is tapered at both ends, and 
moderately thick in the middle. The advantage of having 
this line spliced to a back line is that when one end is worn 
from casting it can be cut off, the worn end respliced to the 
back line, and the other end brought into use. Anyone who 
has not fished with these tapering lines will be surprised at the 
ease with which they can be cast, and their superiority will be 
found out when fishing on a windy day. Some say it is best 
to use a light line upon such an occasion, because it cuts through 
the wind better than a heavy line, but in my opinion a light 
one is utterly useless for casting purposes upon a windy day, 
and the heavier the line the easier it is to cast. 
Thicker lines are required for spring and autumn fishing, 
