6 The North Country Angler. 



mention some of the best, and leave every one at 

 liberty to choose according to his fancy. 



The first I shall take notice of is, that of twist- 

 ing them without either knotting or wrapping ; 

 and this, for some lines, I like as well as any 

 other, if it is made nicely taper, neither too loose 

 nor too hard, and the ends of the hairs so bedded 

 in the line, as scarce to be felt. 



Some make these lines with three small quills, 

 about two inches long, through each of which 

 they put the third part of the hairs they use, 

 and have a little bit of a feather end, or wood, to 

 keep the hairs fast in the quills : they tie a knot 

 at the end of the hairs, and twirl all the three 

 quills equally with the ball of their hand upon 

 their knees, putting in hairs at proper places and 

 distances into the three quills. Others use three 

 little sticks about four inches long, as thick as 

 one's little finger,, with rings to fit upon their 

 ends, to keep the hairs fast ; these sticks they 

 twirl about till all the three strands are equally 

 twisted, and then plait the line down to the sticks, 

 and so on. 



In some places of the North, in Scotland and 

 Ireland, they twist their salmon lines in this 

 manner ; and they pretend they will run through 

 the loops on the rod very well ; though I should 

 rather choose a silk or a fine thread line for that 

 purpose, the other being far more clumsy and 

 stiff. 



The next way of twisting them is with an 

 engine, such as ropers use for making small 

 cords, which I shall not describe, because so well 

 known: I generally useone of these, as the most 



