CRABS. 



17 



and ends are to be cut off, and tlie required number 

 of lengtlis selected as to stoutness. Tliey can now be 

 attached to eacb other by the use of the gut knot, as 

 shown in the preceding cut. This, when drawn home 

 and the ends trimmed off, forms a very secure fastening. 

 To make a double or triple gut trace it will be necessary 

 to twist the strands constituting it. This can be 

 readily done by knotting the extreme ends together 

 and then placing them between the back spring and 

 blade of a common pocket-knife, as shown in the 

 annexed cut. The other ends are now taken by two 

 or three persons, according to 

 tlie number of strands to be 

 twisted, held between the finger 

 and thumb, and turned until a 

 spinning motion is communi- 

 cated to the knife hanging in 

 the middle, when the trace is 

 very quickly finished, — six 

 feet is a good length for gene- 

 ral purposes. All hook-lengths 

 and traces should be attached 



to the main line by brass swivels. A short, stiff rod, 

 with stand-up rings, fitted with a large-sized ISTotting- 

 ham reel, on which fifty or sixty yards of prepared line 

 has been wound, will be found usefid for taking many 

 kinds of fish, and an extra joint or two adapts it 



c 



