Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-06

nament casting which the east has seen for
several seasons The size Of the agate ring
varies, but from five-eighths of an inch up
is the accepted gauge. Great care should
be shown in selecting these guides, as oc-
casionally one leaves the manufacturer in
which the German silver mounting overlaps
the agate, forming sharp edge against
which the line may travel. AS the line used
In bait, casting, is of very fine caliber. the
slightest sharp friction Will quickly fray It,
such mounting also seriously interferes
with long distance casting.
Although agate is the preferred mounting
for guides, 1t is worth noting that some in
dependent and remarkably successful ex-
perts 90 not use such a mounting at ALL
but pin their faith to large sized guides
made of German silver wire. CheapnaSS
simplicity, freedom from breaking and fric-
tlonless quality are all characteristic of
this guide. Several Of the very best long
distance records which have come out of
the west have been made with this variety
oil guide and Ii may be strongly recon-
mended, both to young anglers and experts
The angler who has a knack for making
his own tackle. and who is fond of such
work. will find the manufacture of the
guides referred to simple and satisfying.
Indeed l know of no guides to be bought
which will equal those one can make at
home. German silver wire of best quality
of the caliber of a knitting needle, small
bench wise pair of strong pliers ana a small
file are all the tools required. The wire
should be carried around some hard round
object, say three-Quarters of an inch in
diameter. A piece of iron pipe is good. a
steel chisel will do, or anything which will
give the wire hard round set. Carry the
wire around the pipe two and one half
turns, allowing an inch of the wire over
at each end for wrapping to the rod. Re
lease It from the pipe, bend back the inch
a. each end left over for wrapping, tiatten
this end slightly with hammer on some
hard metal or stone support and You have a
guide better than anything you can buy.
The guide on the tip of the rod. o., as it
Is called, 1.-The top" is of great Importance
for frictioness mountings. AS rule, the
ordinary two hole" top is employed on
most of the rods of average price. but 1t
is almost worthless for fine work. guide
OF German silver into which agate ring
has been set, and mounted at right angles
to the rod, is the usual equipment OF the
high-priced rods. but the writer has been
much annoyed with the tendency which
fine lines have of forming a knot around
this end guide, which will not release until
the line Is pulled out. Other anglers have
no doubt experienced this same difficulty.
The so-called "stirrup-top'' Is, In the opn-
ion of the writer, the finest mounting for
the end of a casting rod now on the mar
ket.
The reel for bait casting Is IN some re-
spects more important than the rod, since
reasonably long casts can actually be made
with a broom handle for a rod, 1t reel and
line are carefully chosen. The recent re-
markable progress in the art of reel build
ing for bait casting, to which reference has
recently been made in the Eagle, las con-
tributed much to the popularity of the sport.
AS will be seen at a glance, the absolute
essentials of the reel for bait cas- ting are in
the order of their Importance, quick start
ing. ease of running and Nghtness without
sacrifice of due strength. half dozen new
and beautiful reels are now on the market,
especially constructed for use In bait cast
ing and embodying ingenious improvements
HIGHLY impOrtant If not necessary,
by the methods of the bait caster. Among
these may be named that of detaching or
separating the handle or winding gear from
the spool, SO that what Is known DIS Tree
spool may be had.
It Is clear that the heavy balance handle
acts as fly wheel and that much longer
and better casting can be done II the spooi
alone reyolves. Hence in the Carlton bait
casting reel and the Redifor, two of the
most up-to-date patterns now on the mar
ket. the spool may be instantly freed from
the handle In the Carlton the operation
consists Of pressing in a fiat band situated
where the thumb naturally rests for thumb
ing the line a most ingenious arrangement.
while on the Redifor the separating mecha-
nism Is operated by a button placed on the
handle side OF the edge Of the reel plate
exactly where the thumb can find 1t readily.
Each Of these reels has evidently been de-
signed by an experienced angler inventor.
Another important improvement OF the
day is the placing of the click and drag but
tons or slides on the edges instead OF the
backs of the side plates. Every angler has
long felt the senseless uselessness or a
click or drag button located where the rap
idly revolving handle rendered quick access
to them impossible. The Shakespeare reel,
made by man who Is both a jeweler and
an expert angler, was the first Of the up
to-date models to embody these Improve
ments, and the devices used on that reel are
the best of any now shown.
~
The take-down or take-apart feature Is
another interesting departure from old pat
terms for which bait casting has been re-
sponsible. 1t makes bait disassembling pos
sible, either for oiling, cleaning, the untan-
Cling of snarl, or most important of all,
the changing Of a line. 1t seems to have
been overlooked by some of the manufac-
turers that by the use of several inter
changeable spools for the same reel the
angler may have the value of several reels
in one. The writer habitually carries sew
eral duplicate spools to all of his take
apart reels, each being fitted with extra
lines, suited to different methods OF an
Cling.
The pioneer in this take-apart field of
construction was the Shakespeare reel
which. indeed, emhodies as much as any one
reel today the desirable features of a high
grade casting reel. Others employing the
same idea are the Hunter ETA part, the
America, which includes ball bearings, and
the Meisselbach take-apart
AS Is generally the case In America. the
latest pattern usually contains improve
ments over the first. For instance, the
Meisselbach not only takes apart quickly
and without tools. but also allows the OPP
orator to locate handle and click mechanism
anywhere he pleases around the side plate
It Is also constructed SO that the click OPP
crates only when the line Is running out,
not when 1t Is being reeled in. Such inter-
estlng variations are found daily among the
new devices for the angler.
In any case, an eighty-yard reel is to be
preferred, and of reasonably wide spool. II
the line does not satisfactorily fill the spool
use old line underneath the new, making .