Martin - Float fishing and spinning in the Nottingham

30 BOTTOM FISHING IN THE NOTTINGHAM STYLE.
trouble does come upon us, it is reduced to a minimum by being
easily pulled off straight, and wound on again. The other portions
of this reel are the same as has been already described.
There is another reel, lately brought out by Mr. P. D.
Malloch, of Perth, that must have a minute's notice but I can-
\
not, try as I will, give it such a favourable notice as I have
given to the improvement of Mr. Slater.
in its present form will never supersede
Mr. Malloch's reel
the ordinary Not-
This reel is of
tingham reel for general Nottingham fishing.
rather a peculiar shape ; peculiar, because when the line is
thrown from it, it does not revolve as a Nottingham reel
should do. Before the cast is made, this reel, or the portion
of it that contains the line, is shifted half round till it faces
the rings of the rod, and when the cast is made, the line
comes from it just the same as pulling line endways from a
bobbin. It is impossible to throw the very light Nottingham
roach tackle with this reel, or traveller fish for chub and
barbel down a stream, Nottingham style ; it can only be used
as a casting reel for pike, &c., and even for that it is open to
strong objections, for the bait must go where it likes, and
cannot be checked at the will of the angler by pressing his
finger on the edge (the same as he can with an ordinary
Nottingham reel) any time during its flight through the air.
Then, again, supposing the angler is casting over a shallow
part of a still-water lake or sheet of water that has its bottom
covered with a beautiful growth of weeds, before he could
shift the reel into its proper position for winding the bait
home, the latter would have plenty of time to sink to the
bottom and take firm hold of the weeds with its hooks, thus
spoiling his cast, and any chance of fishing those places that
are often the most productive of sport. Then, again, the
maker claims for it the power of casting a lighter bait than
can be cast with an ordinary Nottingham reel ; but this is
impossible, for with a " centre-pin " I have cast out the very
lightest float tackle, and even thrown the very lightest
minnow tackle used, at least twenty-five yards or more.
I am aware that it may be possible to throw a bait with
it a greater distance than can be cast with an ordinary
Nottingham reel, but there we must stop ; and I am con-