August, 1919 
FOREST AND STREAM 
401 
brand, but let it be a No. 5 size. 
Now for the lures. You want three 
baits to start with. Two underwater 
minnows so as to have one left if you 
are unfortunate and lose one. One sur- 
face lure for shallow water and where 
snags are plentiful. Regardless of what 
you may believe as to the proper color 
of lures, get the brightest you can 
find. I myself doubt very much if color 
has much to do with strikes. The secret 
of strikes lies not in the color but in 
the action. Bass don’t bite artificial 
lures that are quiet. If you want a good 
selection, in fact, one that no other 
limited one can surpass, get the follow- 
ing: Surface Lure, White Body with Blue 
Snout, Nickel Collar. Underwater Lures : 
Minnow, No. “0,” White Body, Red and 
Green Spots and No. 101, Rainbow. 
Both of these underwaters should be 
equipped with three treble hooks and two 
spinners. 
The above three minnows — you need 
but two — will get the bass if anything 
will. It may happen that you would 
like a weedless lure to use in places where 
grass, lily pads, brush, etc., are very 
thick. The best thing in this line for 
you to get is one of the struggling 
mouse lures. This bait casts beautifully 
and is the nearest to being weedless of 
anything I have ever handled that would 
catch fish. You will miss many strikes 
on this lure but there is the satisfaction 
of knowing that without it, you would 
not be able to successfully cast into the 
weeds at all. Get the Red Head-White 
Body combination. State “Weedless” 
when you order so as to get the double 
hooks and not treble. 
Now cut out a piece of wood about 
2^2 inches long and % of an inch in 
diameter. In one end fasten a small 
screw eye, in the other end insert suf- 
ficient lead to make the block equal the 
weight of one of your underwater min- 
nows. This block will be your practicing 
weight. Now we will find out how to 
do the trick. 
G et out your rod, reel — on which you 
have carefully wound your new 
line — and the home-made casting 
weight. Rub a little oil on the rod slide- 
joint before inserting it into the ferrule 
and thus insure easy dismounting. See 
that reel seat and guides are in a straight 
line from butt to tip to permit free run- 
ning of the line. Put on the reel as 
follows; Turn rod so reel seat is up. 
Attach reel with handle to the right 
when butt of rod points towards you. 
Run your line from reel to first guide 
and see that it passes directly to the 
guide from the reel spool without chafing 
on the reel. Thread the line through 
the balance of the guides and then attach 
your practice weight to the end of the 
line. Walk out on your lawn where 
you have a good clear space around you 
and above you as well. You will need 
plenty of room to start with, as it is a 
rather uncertain thing to know just 
where a beginner’s cast is going to land. 
Lay your hat or some other like ob- 
ject on the grass about thirty feet from 
where you intend to stand when you 
cast. This will serve for your target. 
Face the target. Have your right foot 
slightly advanced. Grasp your rod, with 
the reel on top, in the right hand hav- 
ing all of your fingers underneath the 
grip but the thumb is to be on top. 
Grasp the rod butt close enough to the 
reel so that the ball of the thumb will 
rest on the spooled line on the reel. Re- 
move the click so that the line will be 
free to run out easily if not checked 
by thumb pressure. 
Now let out enough line so that the 
weight will dangle about four or five 
inches from the rod tip. Extend the 
arm straight out, pointing the rod at 
the target on the grass. As you stretch 
out your arm, turn the wrist anti-clock- 
wise until the reel spool is vertical. This 
movement will bring the reel handle on 
top and allows the spool to rest on the 
end bearing at the click-end where it 
will revolve the easiest. 
Bring the rod straight back over the 
right shoulder until it forms an angle 
of about forty-five degrees with the 
ground in back. Let it rest a moment 
until the weight stops swinging. Your 
right hand will be up near your right 
ear. Keep your eyes on the target all 
of the time. Now with increasing speed, 
bring the rod straight forward over the 
shoulder in a direct line with the target 
and yourself. Keep yopr thumb pressed 
down hard on the spooled line to prevent 
any line running out until the rod, in its 
forward movement, is about vertical. 
Then release the thumb pressure and the 
weight will shoot out. Don’t stop the 
swing of the rod but keep it swinging 
until it is pointing a little bit above 
parallel to the ground in front. 
Keep the thumb just touching lightly 
on the line so as to offer a slight fric- 
tion and prevent the reel from over- 
running and causing a backlash. Just 
before the weight hits the ground, press 
the thumb down hard on the spool and 
stop the line from running out any 
further. 
You have made your first cast. There 
(continued on page 426) 
Let the ball of the thumb rest on the spooled line on the reel 
