FOREST AND STREAM 
[Jan. 30, 1909. 
i 82 
As to the feeling on this question in Chicago, 
I can safely say that at least ten men are op¬ 
posed to the classification of casters as profes¬ 
sionals on account of their business where one 
is in favor of it. A number believe it should 
apply only to makers (and their agents or repre¬ 
sentatives) of goods used in tournament work, 
such as rods, reels and lines, as they are the 
ones who receive benefit from the tournament 
game. Just how the manufacturer or seller of 
baits or hooks or other articles that cannot pos¬ 
sibly be used in tournament casting receives 
financial benefits from the tournament game I 
have been unable to determine, nor has any of 
the officials of the National Association been 
able to enlighten me. For my own part, the 
game takes all of my spare time and a good 
deal that I cannot spare conscientiously without 
giving me any returns except the enjoyment I 
get out of it. But as that is all I am after I 
am content. I have no doubt that this voices 
the experience and sentiments of all of the other 
so-called professionals. It should be borne in 
mind that a tackle dealer likes the game for 
itself just as much as the other fellow does; 
also that he is tired of being told that “no doubt 
he is a gentleman and sportsman, but he will 
have to stay out of the amateur ranks because 
the sport must be kept clean.” No wonder 
brother Darling says that “it don’t taste good.” 
If the National Association deems it abso¬ 
lutely necessary that some of its members be 
declared professionals, it should compel the club 
holding the contests to provide events for them, 
with suitable trophies, for no one should be de¬ 
prived of any benefits to be derived from being 
a member of the association. 
As an evidence that the rules are badly in 
need of overhauling I will cite a couple of ex¬ 
amples : According to the rules a pure amateur 
may cast for a cash prize without affecting his 
standing in the least, though he may not cast 
for pay. On the other hand, if he sells a few 
hooks he is branded professional. Whoever 
heard of an amateur association that would per¬ 
mit its members to compete for cash prizes? It 
is true, however, of the National Association 
of Scientific Angling Clubs. This can be veri¬ 
fied by looking up the rules or writing to the 
president of the association. However, the 
National Association of Scientific Angling Clubs 
is not an amateur association, but merely an as¬ 
sociation of angling clubs, because it was formed 
by men both in and out of the trade and still 
accepts tackle dealers as members without ques¬ 
tion. 
The local clubs do not make any distinction 
either in club events or open events. Why, then, 
should they in any event? 
I believe casters could be classed with good 
results. For instance, there could be in the 
accuracy bait events, the 97 class, the 98 class 
and the open or championship class. All could 
cast in the same event, but when entering, an 
applicant should state the class he desired to 
enter and should submit his season’s average, 
signed by his club’s secretary. If he averaged 
98 or better he would have to enter the open 
class; if 97 or better, he would cast in the g8 
class; if less than 97 he would be entitled to 
enter the 97 class. Should he have the highest 
score of any in his class he would be declared 
the winner of the 97 class championship, the 98 
class championship or the open class champion¬ 
ship as the case might be, a suitable trophy to 
be provided for each class. While a contestant 
would have to qualify to enter either the 97 or 
98 class, no restrictions would be placed on him 
waiving his right and entering the open class, no 
matter what his season’s average was. This 
arrangement need not interfere with the dis¬ 
tribution of merchandize prizes, except that a 
trophy winnner could not take a prize also. If 
deemed advisable, a grand championship trophy 
could be offered to be contested for by the win¬ 
ners of the different classes, thus giving every¬ 
one a fair chance at the real championship. 
Luck has no place in bait-casting contests. A 
glance over the score sheets of the past three 
big tournaments will show that the trophies and 
first prizes have invariably been won by men 
with reputations behind them. The trophy win¬ 
ners have always been men who were high 
score for the season in their clubs. A man 
with a 96 or 97 season average has no show 
whatever at the honors. The plan outlined 
above will give them a chance, however, to have 
some show in something besides fishing tackle 
that they do not need or want. Many men 
would be proud, indeed, to win the 97 or 98 
class championship. Let us then have class 
championships for the ordinary casters who can¬ 
not devote all of their time to practice, and let 
the cranks fight it out among themselves for the 
heavy honors. 
In closing, I would suggest that some brother 
who favors the professional clause give us some 
real reasons why the men who organized most 
of the clubs in existence to-day and who have 
done most of the work and furnished most of 
the money that has made our clubs and our tour¬ 
naments a success, should be debarred from any 
contest. W. J. Jamison. 
Southern California Rodard Reel Club. 
Los Angeles, Cal., Jan. 20 .—Editor Forest 
and Stream: The club held its annual meeting 
on the T5th and received the reports of officers 
for the past year, then preceded to re-elect all 
of them who could be induced to serve. The 
president having already served three terms pre¬ 
ferred to step back into the advisory capacity of 
a vice-president. To fill the office. Max Loewen- 
thal was unanimously selected. Mr. Loewenthal 
is a man of the highest standing, is one of the 
leading legal lights of the city, and an angler 
of parts withal. With the club’s surf fish pro¬ 
tection bill about to come up, it was thought 
advisable to give ^the framer of that bill the 
entire support of the club. Samuel Paul was 
also made a vice president, and excepting these 
changes the officers were retained as before. 
A bona fide and paying membership of 200 is 
on the books, growing at the rate of seven a 
month. Beside these is the usual number of 
delinquents many of whom will reinstate them¬ 
selves in good standing. The president read a 
report which was in brief a history of the club 
from the beginning, a statement of what it has 
done, the successes accomplished, and the serious 
job that lies ahead of it in its campaign for the 
recognition of sea fish as game fish and the pro¬ 
tection thereof. The report was ordered spread 
on the minutes and printed for circulation among 
the entire membership. 
Plans for the club’s three-six division are now 
being formulated by Messrs. Hedderly, Shaver 
and Smith Warren. Something novel is promised. 
In token of appreciation of the hard work 
done by Secretary Abbott, the club appointed a 
committee to purchase for him a rod and reel. 
A committee to agree upon some manner of com¬ 
pensating him for the time put on this arduous 
branch of the work also was chosen, Messrs. 
Weber, Coomber and Paul going on it. Few 
clubs are favored with such secretaries as 
Abbott. Too often things are “let slide.” 
The 1909 tournament will be a greater affair 
than any of its predecessors. Members are very 
proud of their organization and feel certain it 
is bound to achieve lasting good for the sea 
fishing game hereabout which hitherto has lacked 
a champion of the power of such an organiza¬ 
tion which represents the crystallized sentiment 
of 25,000 voters who enjoy rod and reel fish¬ 
ing in salt water. E. L. Hedderly. 
Illinois Bait-Casting Club. 
Chicago, Ill., Jan. 20.—Editor Forest and 
Stream: On Jan. 18 the club held its annual 
business meeting for the purpose of electing 
officers and discussion of topics of interest to 
the organization. Following the usual informal 
dinner new officers and executive committee 
were elected and installed; 
President, H. E. Rice; Vice-President, L. E. 
DeGarmo; Secretary and Treasurer, W. O. Van 
Treese; Captain, J. M. Ranney. 
Executive Committee—C. P. Clifford, Wm. 
Stanley, C. W. Reiser. 
The retiring officers were awarded unanimous 
tokens of appreciation for efficient services dur¬ 
ing the past, and many bright and witty speeches 
were the order of the evening’s entertainment. 
The reading of the secretary and treasurer’s 
report revealed many interesting and satisfactory 
conditions, notably the marked increase in mem¬ 
bership and average attendance at park meet¬ 
ings, and high average of performances. 
Included in the guests of the evening were 
the officers of the North Shore Casting Club 
(recently organized). By unanimous vote the 
hand of good fellowship was extended them, to 
which President Leonard Goodwin ably re¬ 
sponded in behalf of his club. 
W. O. Van Treese, 
Sec’y and Treas. 
A New Anglers’ Club. 
Still another club has been organized among 
the fly- and bait-casters of Chicago. This is the 
North Shore Casting Club, which held its 
initial meeting recently and placed on its roster 
the names of fifty members. Officers were 
elected as follows: 
President, Leonard Goodwin; Vice-President, 
H. E. Rice; Secretary and Treasurer, S. H. 
Cramer; Captain, G. T. Hinterleitner. Execu¬ 
tive Committee, in addition to the officers— 1 . H. 
Bellows, Charles Pfannschmidt and John Perry. 
Permission has been obtained from the park 
department to hold club contests and tourna¬ 
ments on one of the lagoons in Lincoln Park. 
Newark Bait- and Fly-Casfing Club. 
New.4rk, N. j., Jan. 23 .—Editor Forest and 
Stream: At the last regular business meeting 
of the club the following officers were elected 
for the year of 1909: President, R. R. Eichlin; 
Vice-President, P. J. Muldoon; Treasurer, A. J. 
Neu; Captain, G. A. Endersby. 
Fred T. Mapes, Sec’y. 
