The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-02
NEEDS GOOD TOOLS
Tackle Supply of Modern Angler
Must Be Complete.
HINTS FOR THE PURCHASER
What to Buy and what Not to Buy
in Preparing for q
Trip.

One Of the most important requisites
for a successful angler is a complete
equipment of tackle. To catch fish swift
", surely and in the most scientific fash
ion. one must have the tools.
OF course the ability to use his tools in
a scientific manner and a wide knowledge
OF the tackle and bait suited to particu-
lar genus Of fish, is quite as important as
the possession of the instruments neces-
sary. Costly tackle Is useless In the
hands of an inexperienced angler, while
the expert may make good catch with
poor tackle.
Every old angler has his peculiar crotch
cts and beliefs as to the value OF certain
lines and lures, says the New York Sun.
He is welded to his idols and is willing
to argue all day about them, and no man
may hope to change him; but there are
many men now setting out upon their
vacations who do not know 1t all and ad-
vice is good for them. They will newt
ably commit many mistakes in purchasing
their supplies, but gentle hint here and
there may do them good.
To begin with the tackle-box itself: It
will be Of tin, either japanned or painted
green. and will have various compart-
ments. The boxes differ slightly in inter-
ior arrangement, but one is about as good
as another
There are Just two kinds however,
| which are Of use, and anything between
them Is delusion. A man should have q
very large box, say Hffteen inchas long,
by eight wide, which twill carry q great
| amount of tackle, or he should have
very small one. say six inches long by
three wide, and an inch deep, which will
carry very little.
One is intended for the boat, the other
for the pocket. Sizes between will be found
to be too big for the pocket and too small
| .r,4o
tion, since they do not hold enough for the
trip and yet may not be carried conven-
iently on a days fishing.
| Steel Rods Are Cheap.
In the matter of rods there is a wide
diversity of tastes. 1t is fact, however,
| that the steel rod is q cheap rod and the
most durable made; also that it has not
the spring Of wood and cannot have It,
| A man will do better casting with a.
wooden rod, which will cost him more
and will not last SO long. Bamboo, daga-
ma. lance and greenheart all are pleas
anter to the hand and send the bait fur
ther. The bamboo, unless Of the finest and
costl1est make, Is apt to come apart when
wet often; the others all get bend to
them and must be Strengthened each night
or they will be permanently crooked
Steel rods may be had at retail at from
$3.75 when furnished with metal rings for
the tip are, agate lined. OF course a man
cannot get thoroughly trustworthy
wooden rod at these prices.
Nearly all anglers able to afford them
use the finer wooden rods. Reference is
had here to bait rods int ended to be used
in casting In trolling for heavy fish
like maskalonge the steel is the only
rod.
The hook is the tool which goes into the
fish and is as important as any part of
the outfit. II the angler does not know
the water he intends to visit, he must
purchase supply Of all kinds, the open
faced Cincinnati bass being as good az
anything Of its like. ..:
But If he intends to go to any one OF
the interior lakes, which are weedy, al
most without exception, he will find that
the weedlees hook will be the thing The
chances are that he will not use one open.
faced hook during the summer.
There are many kinds Of weedless hooks
their merits volubly set forth by their
makers, but in general they are all goot
enough. A hook Of regular bass size Will
the Limerick bend will answer all re-
quirements whether it be guarded from
weeds by slight wire, or by wire Will
pellet of lead at its lower end, or b,
a curved steel band.
> 1t is not worth while for the angler tt
buy any weedless hook which has not tn,
sinker attached to the shank Of the hook
The lead on the shank serves two purpose
1T obviates the necessity Of attaching
sinker to the line and it keeps the hool
: in the proper position in the water, thu
; keeping the bait in proper position.
y Many man has felt his temper groy
= warmer and lost all enjoyment whe1
> through long afternoon the frog or min
. now persisted in returning to the boa
belly up, turning always upon its bac
d when 1t struck the water. The bait. will
do this with strange perverseness unles
- - the hooks shank be loaded.
: This kind of hook casts much bette
= than others. It costs more than the un
loaded ones, but Is worth the money.
y A man will Of course, put sinkers an
? swivels into his tackle box as they may b
= had for cent apiece, and dozen of eac
! may come in handy.
Artificial Lures Worthless.
i It may be said Of artificial lures that il
| general they are worthless. Possibly
. hundred varieties are offered to the publ
and Of them all not five are worth pur
= | chasing.
n Many are cruel and unsportsmanlike
: Artificial minnows, frogs, helgramites an
= crawflsh, phantom minnows, phosphorus
cent lures, aluminium lures, cylindrical i
9 the water, rubber earthworms, papie
q mache monstrosities. all come under TIL
4 heading. ..s
n So, too, with the various nondescrip
9 things made partly of metal and partly &
{ highly colored feathers. one manufac
: turer got out this spring lure made &
y a large curved hook and bunch of feath
ers of the most brilliant crimson imagin
able, crimson to make the eyes ache
He said that it was an infallible bas
hypnotizer and sold good many Of then
n It was found that this thing was Of n
value with black or Oswego bass, but
set the rock bass crazy. They went afte
g it as far as they could see it and thre,
8 themselves on the hook with violence.
r The rock bass is small, pudgy, red -eyet
d / fnny and worthless except in early sprin,
In summer heats it has worms in it's flesl
r All that the angler will really need |
y the way Of lures will be spoons Of variou
n sizes--Nos. 8 and 4 for bass; and 9 fo
e maskalonge, pike or pickerel; say two
n each size. He may take, too some Of th
bucktail lures. They are good and bas
), will sometimes take them when they Re
II fuse all else. W y,
Il The best casting line man can hav
It will be made Of silk and will be OF No.
size for preference. The larger sizes, viii
IL they have additional strength, are apt I
', swell and run hardly when wet, shortenin
It the cast by many feet; sizes smaller al
n apt to prove too weak. III
It The No. is strong enough and will ri
kAr. 11.x~ 49, sSS,Sv q