The North Country Angler. 



CHAP. II. 



How to make Lines for all Kinds of Angling, 

 What Hair is best. How to make it ready for 

 twisting, fyc. 



JlF I might choose, it should be the tail of an 

 unrumped stallion, next to that of a strong geld- 

 ing, of a pale transparent water colour. Such a 

 tail is now a great rarity, most gentlemen rump- 

 ing their horses hefore the hair is come to its 

 full strength. When I have got such a one, I 

 lay it five or six days in a moist place, or till the 

 hairs will draw out of it easily, without straining 

 them, I draw out loO or 200 near the same 

 place of the rump, wrap a thread about the root 

 end of them, wash them well, and rub them dry 

 with a little bran ; then I lay them in a book, 

 and draw them out by the root end, as barbers 

 do from their cards; and when I have made them 

 exactly equal at that end, I wrap a bit of paper 

 about them, four or five inches from it, with a 

 waxed thread, and cut off as much of the small 

 end as I think is not good enough. In this man- 

 ner I keep all my links, which, though of diffe- 

 rent lengths, yet all the hairs of every link are 

 exactly the same, and ready for making what 

 sort of lines you please. There are so many 

 ways of twisting or plaiting the hairs, that if I 

 was to give the preference to any one, some 

 fishers, that like their own way better, would 

 censure my judgment; I shall, therefore, only 

 B 2 



