The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-02
ART OF THE FLY CASTER.
TIM FORH or ANGLING THAT CALLS
ron THK GREATEST SKILL.


Hue OnL-Poiuts for the BeElnhers- aney
Cast,-OId Trout Win Had Iempof''
AsuL,Sp. Wis, Aug O-1he man who
has mastered tho art ~ bait casting aud then
essays 10 become a ~ custer VIII ma mat
he has almD.t n, much 10 wi!carn ~ 10 learn
Tie Two things mr." utterly dI~IinlIar' WIN
Tho r,s ibp exceptions that both tend 10 pro-
duca accuracy ~ eve and In both the object
IL 10 land tho end Of u line on. or near 10, IA given
point In bait casting strength 81 wrist and
forearm IL required n. well IA ability 80 TO
check tho llno with the thumb that the reel
shall not o,rrruu or back lash.
The bat rod Il ~ the most six and one-half
feet In lorgth II II -rin but -priuHy. aud Is
built NJ steel ordinarily, though there as bait
rod Of wund lrgi ~ good as we'll aS higher
priced The bait, which IA always compara'
lively heavy, vel Eht being added t" " 10y a
leaden siuker Wheult has nUtsdffident heaviness
ofits own, hangs not more than two feet below
tho rod tin and X projected through the air
by strong fo,zard swing Of the rod ltravels
with great ,wiftnoss, and no matter bow 5clen-
tlfcally II IL thrown n makes more or less NJ q
splash when n strikes tho water TINS IA go
pecially true ~ all metal lures or live frogs
ono Of the commone-t forms II bait Tor bass
or trout IN ny casting there Is hiiIe pr no
strength rouuIrcd, but much supuirue~S aud
QlltkliNH llHll 'dF'IlA ~ ''
be said 10 be conuos"d " 30 ycr aud accuracy;
ny casting ~ dalicacy and accuracy There
can be M question that the latter l. the more
scieutiNc md measurable Of the two forms
Of FISH pursuit, though there are many places
where bait casting alone IL practcah'e, II
Ia the ambition Of every rod mau tn become
Q good fly custer after he has bacon" "A good
bait caster when he has earned H. caal the
Nv ~ 1t should be east ne has nothing lett to
learni IN the mechanical part Of angling Hence
forward hia improvement must be- along the
line Of study ~ the habits and species Of tho
game he sreks 10 procure
while II Il undeniable that tho superlative N.Y.
caster, like the superlative poet. IA born, not
made. it is also me that any man sound OF eye
wind and limb can become a seryiceable caster.
Just ~, any man OF fair education. II dubbed
hard and Frequently enough. can b" made TO
fashion rassahle rh,me4 Throwing the fly IL
an art in which srnerlativeness is not At all es-
sential tn ENJOYMENT. The ability 20 send the
many colored iur, 100 feet X a good thing 70
hive. hut the good Of 1t comes mostly from the
knowledge that one H. able to do Il. There ts
not an occasion lu a year IL stream or pool work
whore such A rlat would be essential. That sort
OF casting l. tournament work, pure and simple
and tournament work differs from stream work
lust as trap shooting differs from field shooting.
Some Of The longest tournament casters IN me
West are also among the poorest OF fishermen.
They are able 10 get out coil after coil Of the silk
on the green but when IL comes 70 going up OF
down a brawling. narrow. crooked wood-llned
creek they are lost. There long casts are OF
no value, and a, hey have PVT IN lhetr INNS
chasing medals instead Of chasing trout they 20
home with empty ore"ls. II may be SAID that a
man able under fair conditions 10 put a ny ac-
- n. - uf.,s fat l. n GOOD
enough caster ~ 60 10 Canada after the ouna-
niche or to Puget Sound after The salmon or TO
stav in Wisconsin and catch the brook trout.
The beginner should keep in front Of him al
WAYS the word accuracy. This means not only
that the fly shall be- placed upon he point in alm.
but also that il shall be placed there properly.
This means. in turn, that the reel man nor oSsli
run. that there shall he no risk ot line tangle ana
thai the ny shall aliCht as II II Herea living IN
sect seeking a rest for Us tired wings, me man
who copfesses thnt he e knSTs w n22I'4al ana t 2Si H "a
he gains accuracy he will also gain dlstai, "a,
When he reaches a stage where ne can lana the
rims of fro m thlrty-five to forty feet without
lar and that the fly acts as ny should act feT-
sistent pIao!tce WI ih p egty o ,P9 si HHSu'o or o. ev IN
sixty-hve. feet will be at his ! men
he will be entitled TO do some talking himSeit
when ono Of the far and sure Ja"SmllhS Is
AZ the beginning the n~eophvte should know
that he cannot cast "A ny unless ne nag some.
have a good outfit, which does not imply at all
that he must have an expensive outlt' a
sane being can IT. himseh out fop ny Sa1,tn y n q.
II he chooses and has the money tospend, ne
most important part OF The kitlsltS nrst perttn
rod makers there IL no end. The industry ln
America Is a large one, maty hundreds OF
thousands of dollars being invested mt, t,4reerre
Is dagama wood frop cuba and balnpoo rom
JapAn and Lakewood and greenheart from the
United States. and twenty other Woods, nov
best material that ever went into a rod IS that
which the teamster in the Northwestern l3H-
ginR camps use for the tips Of Their Whln Stocks,
feet long and very heavy, being made 9i pieated
hide. The tE Of The atoGS mq mnI no be as tera11
breakabie. So they make of blue oak, and a
tip OF this kind literally may be ued INTO a khot
and when united i will not show me starting
OF a fibre. Possibly there are not a half dozen
blue oak rods in this county, hut ne men
folk who know how and II Is because tney KNOW
how that they own them whatever the mate
IL Is not necessary that Il should cost from s2S
to $50 in order to give service mere aye many
manufacturer who have a 7Ih' bamboo roo On
at a cost Of from Is to switch viii give a. good
service while u lasts. Is any hand aSsrnfn'c1
rod ever turned ont Of a shop. II Is true that
il viii not last so long a. The NOR" expensive
rod and the JOY 81 owning II T. not 50 great nut
N Is good for four or five seasons, u properly
cared for. anli q porCuplue get az Itlnthc dead
Of night and Chew- II half In two there not 80
much TO mourn for. Carrying ffty-dollar rods
into the woods Is akin toCarDtng hve-hundr'd-
dollar watches down into coal mines In each
the man feels that he has q good thing
along. but the knowledge of II Is apt 70. make
him uneasy \ siX-dolar rod, whether OF WOOD
or steel, has plenty Of GO to IL and Is good enough
for ANYBODY who wants fish and not tho envy
Of less ~ornately furnished tlshermen.
Many anglers pay as much "a $50 Tor a reel
Others paw SlO0 These reels are built OF silver
and are r~lby-iewelled. In them are $50 worth
OF material and tS0 worth OF makers name.
They are good things 10 have and 70 Keep IN
a case. For - in any reputable shop OF sports,
mems supplies It is possible 10 purchase q, reel
with a wide spindle built on the lines OF the
Kentucky model. Il will last Tor a dozen
years; II vii run on its ball bearings as smoothly
As the highest gTade OF suspended bicycle wheel:
Al will give perfect satisfaction. Up the matter
OF lines there Is no such Wide field Of choice
open 10 the purchaser. TO get a good line
one is forced e. pay good money and there
arc no servioeable cheap substitutes Tor the
genuine article. A line with which one may
do satisfactory practice viii cost from $50
70 ~ These things beinG bought AT a toi1l
outlay Of Sl4, there remains only 70 purchase
a hall dozen flies Of standard make Tor 81 ana
the practice, or aCld outfit. j. compIot"
II wnl pay any novice e. attend d nN-ca~'llg
tournament, because the men combating are
really masters OF their art and u" wiz learn