The San Francisco call., 1896-05-02

which are now clearing off, and may be ir
fairly good condition for bait fishers to
morrow.
Charles Green, Jim Orndorff and a Mr..
Brown are making preparations for trip
to Ten-mile River, near Fort Bragg.
Latest intelligence from there speaks very
well of the fishing TO be had in the streams
of Mendocino County.
Frank Dolliver is authority for the state
ment that on Sunday last, while he was
engaged in spooning for steelheads at the
mouth Of the Paper-mill Greek, he hooked
large striped bass, which broke loose
after a fight that lasted ten minutes.
AS Mr.. Dolliver is a member of the
Munchausen family of midwinter fisher
men, his words are generally accepted
with grains of salt guaranteed "to last" on
all occasions.
The question now causing much discus
sion among anglers is relative to the posi-
ton of the reel on light bamboo rods.
Some anglers contend that the reel should
be at least two and half inches from the
butt, so as to give an angler an oppor.
tunity OF pressing the butt of the rod
against his side when handling a large
fish. The reel, as it is now placed on the
rod, is too near the butt TO afford the
angler free and open play in reeling UP
line after fish has made long run. 1t
certainly places an angler in an awkward
yards of slack line after a fish has made a
long run and then doubles back in a re-
turn run to the place of starting-that is,
when the angler has to hold the rod free
from his chest with the left hand and reel
up slack with the right.
Some anglers "yank" in the slack by
pulling the line through the loops, but
only amateurs or "blacksmiths'' will
resort to this system, as on second run
of the fish, which frequently happens, the
slack line is very liable TO tangle in rocks,
or any other substance that the line NAV
catch after it is drawn through the loops.
The CALL would be pleased to have tn e
views of anglers on this subject.
The following letter is from the presi-
dent of the San Francisco Rod and Gun
Club. 1t is an Individual opinion and
speaks for itself. No doubt there are many
other anglers who have different views.
We would be pleased to hear from all those
interested. The writer says:
SAN FRANCISCO, May /, 1896.
Mr.. Editor-DEAR SIR: At the last meeting of
the San Francisco Rod and Gun Club, the sub
ject of the proper placing of the reel seat on q
rod was discussed Some advocated that the
reel should be directly at the butt, others that
and still others that it should be from 6 to 8
inches from the butt, and that while handling
q large fish it was the proper position to rest
the butt on the body.
Ny opinion in regard to the real seat is that
you have moro control over the rod and fish
when the reel is near the butt, say two or
three inches, and that the rod has better
action than when the reelis six or eight inches
from the butt. from the fact that the reel being
near the butt the rod is better balanced, and
you have better control over the fish.
On the other hand with the reel six or eight
inches from the butt you do not have control
over the fish as the portion of the rod below
the reel is in the way and prevents the angler
from q free handling of the rod and at the
same time it necessitates the removal of your
elbow from your body, thus losing the help SO
greatly needed when handling a large fish
again, having the reel eight inches or so from
the putt you play The fish in a great measure
from the tip, and if not very carefully handled
the tip is liable to be broken and you invari-
ably lose the fish, for the reason that your
rod is not correctly balanced.
would like to say few words in regard 20
placing the butt of the rod against the body
while playing the fish.
/ believe it is not the correct way of handling
a fish, although it is very much in vogue by
many of our expert anglers. l frequently re-
sort 10 it, for the reason that in handling a
large fish with a light rod it takes q much
longer time to kill the fish, and the wrist gets