34 THE angler's guide, 



and pass the end of it between the under-side of your 

 left-hand finger and the rod (See the cut;) now draw 

 away, gradually, your left-hand finger, and, with your 

 right-hand finger and thumb, take hold of the second 

 from the top of the bows or hoops, and draw it tight, 

 which will make the first bow or hoop lay close and 

 secure over the broken rod ; then draw the third, which 

 will secure the second, and so on till all lays smooth 

 and close to the last turn, to fasten and fix which, take 

 the end of the waxed silk or twine, which lays under 

 the bows or hoops just described, and draw it upwards, 

 till all lays smooth and tight j then cut ojfFthe spare part, 

 and all will be fast and strong. This way of mending 

 and fastening off, without tying, is called the hidden 

 or invisible knot. If you mend a broken rod at home, 

 spread a little softened shoemakers' wax on each slope 

 of the broken rod, or glue them together, before you 

 bind these sloping parts together, and it will increase 

 the security of the broken parts 3 after which, varnish 

 the whipping, and lay them to dry, which will soon take 

 place, if good drying varnish is used. When you 

 have occasion to mend a small joint of a rod, then 

 a bodkin or a disgorger should be used, instead of 

 the left-hand finger, because the bodkin or disgorger 

 doth not require that the bow or hooped whipping 

 should be so large as if passed over the finger, and, 

 in consequence thereof, are, with less difficulty, drawn 

 and confined to their proper places 3 when the bodkin 

 or disgorger is used, you pass the waxed silk or twine 

 through the eye of either of those instruments, which 



