
FOREST AND STREAM. 



19, 190 





SEA A 

NID JRUIVTEIR FFISIGTING 



Experimental Fly-Casting Lines. 
ANGLERS who are fond of practicing fly-cast- 
ing, alone or with others, with the idea of be- 
coming proficient in handling the rod on streams 
or in casting contests, are often puzzled over 
problems that seem trivial to those who have 
had wider experience. For example, very few 
beginners purchase suitable lines. Indeed, some 
of those who think twenty to forty dollars paid 
for a rod is money well spent, hold up both 
hands if told they must pay from six to ten 
dollars for a casting line if they want one that 
will bring out the best qualities of their rods. 
It is customary for the dealer who sells one 
a fine rod to tell him what line he should use 
with it. Generally this information is reliable, 
but no dealer can without trying it, tell just 
what is in a particular rod, and furthermore, 
each man’s style of casting differs enough to 
make general advice a bit uncertain in some 
cases, Therefore the beginner should practice 
until he obtains a better knowledge of what he 
can do with his rod before buying expensive 
lines that may not suit his style of casting, and 
which he may ruin before he has actually learned 
how to take care of them. 
Tournament casters generally use fly-rods 10% 
or Ir feet in length, and weighing 8 to 10 
ounces, in such events as are open to rods of 
a maximum limit of 1114 feet. In events open 
to 5-ounce rods, these are usually 914 or to feet 
in length. They can weigh 534 ounces if fitted 
with metal reelseats. Other rods are used, but 
these two will admit one to the majority of all 
fly-casting contests held. 
For the heavy rod a double tapered C line 
(sometimes a B) is the thing; for the 5-ounce 
rod a double tapered E line is the most economi- 
cal one, for it is a serviceable line to fish with 
as well, its ends tapering to G size, making it 
a “sweet” line for lightly casting a tiny fly for 
brook trout. In this service, when one is cast- 
ing from twenty to thirty feet or more, the 
theory that the rod, line and leader should taper 
gradually is carried out, and in touruament use 
the heavy center will assist one in getting out 
a long line, and shooting it in the final effort. 
Double tapered lines are made up as follows: 
A heavy, level center, tapering to both ends. In 
some of them the middle level line is 25 yards 
or more in length, the ends tapering rapidly to 
two or three sizes smaller. This called a 
quick or short tapered line. Other lines have 
only 20 to 50 feet of heavy belly, then taper 
slowly to the ends, these constituting slow or 
long tapered lines. One of the most famous 
tournament casters recommends a line t11 feet 
long with 75 feet of C, each end tapering for 



is 
18 feet only. Another has his lines made as 
follows: 
Puc B Cc D E F Total length 
5 5 Be 20) Pep 6 5 5 5 115 feet 
Still another uses lines made as follows: 
EE DY ac B Co D E F Total length 
6 10. .16 2 80 ~90- 215 10 5 130 feet 
These are all for heavy tournament rods, and 
’ 
for anglers who can cast from 100 to 120 feet 
and more. It is safe to say the tapers of the 
line last mentioned are too slow for the be- 
ginner, And their ends are so small that, with 
a tapered leader as long as the rod, it is ex- 
tremely difficult to cast toward a wind of even 
moderate force. Casting with the wind, they 
work nicely, but for windward casting a shorter 
taper is advisable. In view of these facts, many 
tournament casters provide themselves with two 
lines: One heavy, wiry, taper short, the leader 
also short and tapering rapidly; the other line 
tapered gradually, and used with a long leader. 
Some anglers cut these lines in the center and 
attach the heavy end to a small back line of F 



size, thus placing the belly, as it is called, near 
the forward end of the line, the idea being that 
in shooting, the heavy belly acting as a weight 
will carry the light back line with it. This is 
true in one sense, but there is a tendency on 
the part of the belly to fall down on the water 
and retard the flight of fly and leader. A power- 
ful wrist and arm and a stiff rod of good action 
prevent this in a measure, but the difficulty the 
beginner encounters is to tell just how much 
belly he can handle; for, a line that seemed too 
heavy at first will seem too light as he becomes 
more expert, and the long belly of the double 
tapered line is perhaps better adapted to his in- 
creasing skill. A better plan, it seems, is to 
have the back line of the same size as the center, 
for if small back line is used, it is less easy to 
handle in stripping, and being very flexible, it 
is more likely to snarl and kink, and does not 
run as freely through the guides in shooting as 
a large and wiry line. The double taper, how- 
ever, is an advantage in that one may reverse 
the line occasionally, and thus increase its life. 
An economical method of determining tapers 


g 






TT as 
METHOD OF 

SPLICING LINES. 
In the upper figure the waxed thread is shown in place 
between the bevels of the splice. The second figure 
shows how it is held there while the first half or right- 
hand end of winding is being finished. Toward the 
finish a short loop of silk is laid along the line and 
wound under, then the end of thread passed through loop 
and pulled under, as illustrated in the third figure. The 
final sketch shows the finished splice. 
for a line to be used on a heavy tournament 
rod is to purchase several lengths of the cheap- 
est enameled silk line and make up an experi- 
mental fly-casting line yourself. Just here it is 
well to remember that American and English 
sizes differ slightly, the latter being a trifle larger 
than ours. The English line is also heavier, 
yard for yard, than our lines of equal diameters. 
For example, the American B and the English 
C are almost alike in diameter and weight, but 
the latter is more flexible. 
Purchase 25 yards of B (American), 25 yards 
of E, and to yards of each C, D and F. Some 
dealers will not sell less than 25 yards of each 
size, but the best quality is not necessary, and 
as the finished line can be reversed when the 
front taper wears out, it will outlast your 
novitiate, and you will have sufficient material 
for several practice lines, 
For the beginner a line with a quick taper 
and rather short belly has its advantages. Here 
is the formula for a spliced line I have used 
satisfactorily on a heavy tournament rod qr feet 
in length: 
B GD SiGe B Ca paw Total length 
5 D4 5 Da aD Oh meley. 5 5 100 feet. 
Using a 9 foot tapered leader, the total length 
of the leader, the forward taper and the 50 foot 
belly is 84 feet, and this much line anyone can 
get out with careful practice, so that he will 
have the weight of the belly to carry out 5 or 


10 feet of the light back line in shooting. ] 
while this is a line that can be used to adv} 
tage after one has passed the novice stage, 
numerous splices may be objected to. Make 
up, then, as follows: 







Bi iD SB). sD Total length 
D4 15 M60 a. ae 100 feet 




























































































Commencing at the forward end, take 5 f 
of E and 15 feet of D, and with a very shi} 
knife slice off an end of each line on a lc 
taper of an inch, lay them together, so that tl 
will overlap about an inch, and waxing 15 incl|: 
of A silk thread, begin with the middle of {| 
thread at the center of splice and wind closée|! 
tying off 14 inch beyond the end of one li 
then reverse and wind with the remaining €| 
of the thread until the other end of splice |! 
hidden, being careful to wind evenly, so tl|! 
there will be no elbow-like lump in the spli|! 
Attach the free end of the D line to 60 fi)! 
of B, that to 15 feet of D, and 5 of E, and yo)! 
line will be completed. Each splice should | 
rolled between two boards, to smooth it, t|! 
be careful in doing this to see that both en|! 
of the line revolve free from kinks, else t/' 
enamel will be broken on each side of the spliv! 
and it will not run freely through the guic¢|! 
on the rod. Coat each splice with shellac, th|! 
while the latter is still tacky, rub lightly wij! 
flake graphite and you will be delighted in t/! 
possession of a double tapered line of low cc|! 
that will serve until you learn from experien| 
the weight and size best adapted to your sty 
of casting. When that time arrives, buy the be 
line obtainable and take care of it. a 
If the line be hard enamel finish, rub it wil! 
deer fat or mutton tallow and leave it coil 
for a few days, then rub it with a soft ri| 
until all the fat is removed, when it should 
much softer than before. Some experts pref 
to graphite their lines. For this purpose ul 
finely powdered graphite, coating the heavy bel! 
only while the deer fat is on it, but wiping tl 
tapered ends free from grease and graphite, el) 
in casting the tapered end will be so heavy th| 
it will fall down in a heap instead of shootir| 
out in a rolling’ loop. The graphite is on!! 
wanted on the shooting part of the line, to inj! 
sure its free running through the guides, ar}! 
a very little of it will answer the purpose. t 
If the line is too feet long, and you can ca | 
80 feet or more, apply the fat and graphite on)! 
to the rear half of the line. The purpose te 
the fat is to bind the graphite, as the latter wil 
not adhere well to a polished line. Ne 
In this connection it may be well.to say thi 
graphite alone can be applied with satisfactory}! 
results to a line that is tacky, as some are, b 
cause of the soft character of the dressiny)" 
Sufficient graphite will adhere to make it smoot! 
instead of sticky, particularly when the temper:| 
ture is above 75 degrees. It can also be dS 
pended on to make a light line a trifle heavie| 
but it is not advisable to use the deer fat an 
graphite on a fishing line, as the graphite ac! 
heres to the hands, soils the clothing, ete. Ii\. 
advantages in preventing a wet line from stick? 
ing to rod and guides, and in making it slidl 
through the guides freely in tournament cast 
ing, however, are obvious. fa 
Do not wind your spliced line on a fishintt 
reel, but use something larger. In tournamen| 
casting a great many anglers use a “reel” turne 
from a bit of 1 or 1%4 inch white pine or popla1| 
This is simply a disk 7 or 8 inches in diamete| . 
with a groove cut in its periphery and the centell: 
cut out, leaving a sort of grooved hoop. It willl 
hold a large quantity of the heaviest line. Witllin 
it the line is reeled in very rapidly. 
One of the 25 cent 6 inch wood salt wate 
reels is a handy thing too; for, after the handle 
and center post are removed, the grooved woo: 
disk with the line on it can be carried in a coa 


nd 

