300 
FOREST 
AND STREAM 
JULY, 1917 
SURF TACKLE, ITS SELECTION AND CARE 
GOOD PARAPHERNALIA, PROVIDED IT IS TREATED WITH RESPECT, REALLY 
SPELLS ECONOMY FOR THOSE WHO INTEND TO PURSUE THE SPORT SERIOUSLY 
By LEONARD HULIT 
I N preparing for publ.cation an article on 
this subject the writer needs bear in 
mind the hammer of the critic; as well 
as the prejudices of those who have 
axes to grind, in selling some particular 
make or style of rod, reel or other appli¬ 
ance. 
It is particularly difficult to make the 
meaning clear unless names of the differ¬ 
ent types of paraphernalia are given. But 
I wish it to be made clear in the begin¬ 
ning that 1 am not interested in the manu¬ 
facture or sale of any fishing tackle, and 
if in this article mention be made of any 
make or type of fisherman’s supplies it is 
only with the idea of making clear to the 
reader the merits of different kinds and 
styles of tackle. 
Few American sports have advanced 
more rapidly than has surf fishing. Twenty 
years ago in most instances the tackle was 
crude and the finesse of the game but little 
understood. Today the rivalry in the man¬ 
ufacture of tackle is most pronounced and 
the capital invested enormous, while the 
study of winds, tides and water conditions 
is a constant game of the surf fisherman. 
With all thoughtful anglers of today the 
equipment has first consideration, not be¬ 
cause they have any particular desire to 
spend money unduly, but because even the 
novice soon learns that to be successful 
and to benefit by the experience of suc¬ 
cessful anglers, he must use methods and 
devices that the “old timer” has found 
requisite. It is safe to say that nowhere 
in the world can finer tackle be found 
nor better balanced results be met with 
than along the New Jersey coast, where 
the sport is largely perhaps an evolution of 
the old time hand-line game, which was 
in vogue many years and supplied the mar¬ 
kets of all the nearby cities. In selecting 
tackle I would say to the nov¬ 
ice, enlist the offices of a 
friend who has made a study 
of the subject in a practical 
way, and take his advice. 1 
would not infer that dealers 
as a rule are dishonest, but I 
will say frankly that many of 
them, not being skilled in the 
sport themselves, sell those 
goods which to them seem best 
as a business proposition and 
which allow them the best 
margin of profit. 
Most essential is the rod, 
which should be of what is 
known as the two-piece type. 
Its length should always be 
regulated somewhat by the height of the 
user. If the rod is too short, the proper 
spring cannot be obtained, and if too long 
the manipulation is always imperfect. 
The butt or hand-piece should be from 
24 to 28 inches in length and preferably 
cork bound; this will give a good grip 
whether the atmosphere be 
dry or damp.—A slippery 
rod butt is a fatal disadvan¬ 
tage either when casting or 
The Author, Leonard 
Hulit, Snapped Unaware 
Just at the Critical Moment. 
playing a fish. It is well also to slip 
over the butt-cap a rubber cup such as 
is used on the ends of crutches. This 
has a tendency to prevent the left hand 
slipping off when you are making the 
cast, and always gives a feeling of secur¬ 
ity. In the wood spring butts a knob is 
always milled on to answer this exact re¬ 
quirement. 
The most particular part of the rod, the 
tip, should as stated be regulated in length 
somewhat by the height of the user. If he 
is short in stature, a butt of 24 inches and 
a tip of 72 inches will be well balanced, 
while a taller man can easily handle a 
28-inch butt with a 78-inch tip. While 
there will be some deviation from these 
rules, -they will be found exact enough to 
serve as a guide for selecting a rod. As 
to the material or wood of which the tip 
is made, there is of course a great divers¬ 
ity of opinion. Greenheart, bethabara and 
lancewood each have their adherents, and 
each makes a serviceable rod if properly 
constructed. But in the opinion of the 
writer, greenheart is the best of all, as it 
is more resilient than either of the others 
mentioned and takes a finer finish. 
F OR made-up rods, however, split bam¬ 
boo is king of them all, and is deserv¬ 
ing of special description. This to be 
perfect should be made from selected Cal¬ 
cutta butts and carefully graded as to the 
placing of the leaf spathes along the rod 
so that there may not be any two of them 
directly adjoining, as that may weaken the 
point. The split bamboo surf rod has at¬ 
tained a wonderful perfection in the way 
of grading and finish. While the same 
material has long been used in making 
trout and salmon rods with beautiful finish 
and balance, it is no exaggeration to say 
that nothing in the endeavors of the past 
masters in light tackle, can exceed the 
style and finish of the present-day heavy 
surf rig. They are finished with German 
silver mountings and agate centers, with 
which the colored silk wrappings make an 
article of great beauty as well as of super¬ 
lative merit. And let me advise the novice 
never under any circumstance to consider 
any save German silver mountings for a 
salt-water rod, as German silver never 
deeply corrodes and with a modicum of 
care will last indefinitely and always give 
satisfaction as to looks as well as service. 
And nothing but agate guides on the rod 
should ever be accepted, as they lessen the 
friction on the line in casting thereby add¬ 
ing to its life very materially, as well as 
giving tone to the appearance of the outfit. 
Of reels, there are as many makers as 
there are varieties of fish to be caught. 
And nothing in the angler’s outfit deserves 
or requires more careful selection. There 
are many which give great promise over 
the sale counter, but few which give satis¬ 
factory results in operation. But my ad¬ 
vice to the beginner is to buy the best— 
the very best that conditions will permit— 
and any surf caster of experience will 
soon advise him which is the only reel. 
While there is some division of opinion 
as to the selection of the 2-0 or 3-0 reel, 
(continued on page 333) 
