ARTIFICIAL FLIES. 355 



not too violent, and is equally conducive to health and pleasure. 

 I have already said that a one-handed rod should be ten or 

 twelve feet long, and a two-handed rod from sixteen to eighteen 

 feet; to either of which must be attached a reel containing 

 thirty yards of twisted silk and hair line, tapering from a 

 moderate thickness to a few hairs, at the end of which you are, 

 by a loop, to attach the bottom tackle. This should be made 

 of round, even gut, and three yards long ; some persons prefer 

 four yards ; but I think too great a length of gut increases the 

 difficulty in casting the line. Those bottom tackles may be 

 purchased at the shops in two, three, or four-yard lengths. 

 These lines should also taper gradually, the gut being much 

 stronger at the end which is to be attached to the line on the 

 reel, than at the end to which the stretcher-fly is to be fixed. 

 When you fish with only two flies, the second — or drop-fly — 

 should be at a distance of thirty- six or forty inches from the 

 bottom, or stretcher-fly ; but, if you use three flies, the first 

 drop should be only thirty-four inches from the stretcher, and 

 the second drop thirty inches from the first. These drop-flies 

 are attached to the line by loops, and should not be more than 

 three inches long ; and, by having the gut rather stronger than 

 for the end-fly, they will stand nearly at a right angle from the 

 line. I recommend the beginner to commence with one fly 

 only ; but, at most, he must not use more than two ; and, as for 

 his mode of casting, or throwing his fly, now his tackle is pre- 

 pared, I fear little useful instruction can be given, as skill and 

 dexterity, in this point, must depend upon practice. I may, 

 however, ad\dse him not to attempt to cast a long line at first, 

 but to try his strength, and gain facility by degrees. He must 



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