The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-01-01
TOO HEAVY TACKLE COMMON MISTAKE
 WITH FISHERMEN
Some Alleged Sportsmen. Think Tonnage" Is Sole PleaSure-Some Light
 Line Experience
ny ROBERT C. HIDDEN

It's positively ludicrous to note the mistakes some alleged fishermen make in the selection and use of their tackle. Their sole sport consists ot putting tonnage" in the boat. They seem to derive no pleasure in play ing the fish and exercising a certain amount of skill in their maneuvers.
 During last month, while casting and trolling for speckled trout and red fish in the waters around Camp Walton, curious sight was wit messed. A self-conscious and some what boastful fisherman blew in from Louisville. Ky. He had several late model fishing suits, D dozen or more reels of various sizes and types, half a dozen or so rods. several of them costing S2e to $3O. innumerab1e lures of widely varied designs--in fact, pretty much everything a shrewd tackle salesman could unload on him regardless of evefything but cost. Most of his numerous and sundry outfits were entirely unsuitable. Nine tenths of it would have frightened any normal and intelligent fish to the point of making his getaway on a fast schedule
 We'll, this so-called fisherman. like many others who have accumulated remarkable quantities of ignorance on the subject. wouldn't listen to any suggestions. He knew it all, and boasted of his wonderful pre- vious catches in the Great Lakes re- gions, the far western territory or somewhere. My fishing ''pal' and [ looked at each other and smiled.
 That afternoon we took the smart Alek' opt for bit of trolling. He had a heavy, stiff rod, some 10 feet long, that would have been useless for anything smaller than 8 50-pound shark or huge tarpon; 40-pound test line and reel the size of your two fists His spoon was nearly as large as your hand and carried hook that would hold anything up to a couple of hundred pounds. He did catch several three-pound trout on the outfit during the afternoon, and erudely, almost brutally reeled them in with no regard for the speed limit The poor fish had no chance 10 dart or slash. They came along with helpless, hang dog aspect And our wise, dapper fisherman in "glori- fled" clothes enthused over his 'luckT and boasted of his skill. My companion and again looked at each other and smiled. The whole situa- lion was no less pitiable than ludicrous.
 Another Kind of Sport
 During the same afternoon my .'pal' and I got some sport on the side. We took 2S speckled trout running from two to four pounds and four reddish from three to eight pounds. on five foot, five-ounce east ing rods with 10-pound test lines and small-size level-winding reels, while trolling 200 feet with spoons carrying No. ? hooks We had ample sur plus strength in rod. line and hook, sIl of which could easily have land cd fish up to 20 pounds if properly riayed and handled from the reel seat.
 The fact is. the average fisherman, until he becomes experienced in han ding rod and reel, uses tackle two or three times heavier, stronger and suffer than necessary, and thus loses all the thrill and sport of the game Many 10 and 12pound fish of fight ing variety is landed on five-ounce casting rod.
 of course, there are secrets to be known and employed. Chief among These Is ample surplus line to permit Aong runs; to put the proper pressure on your spool and keep your line taut in proportion to the size of your fish,