8 THE FISHING-ROD; 



so readily as they do bare wood or cane. But 

 in India, and other warm climates, the great 

 difficulty is experienced in keeping fishing-rods 

 from injury by the wood-eating insects ; unless 

 constantly rubbed over with oil or varnish, 

 when laid aside, they are soon spoilt. 



FISHING-LINES. 



FISHING-LINES are made chiefly of silk, with 

 silk-worm gut, or horsehair at the lower end. 

 Sometimes the entire line is made of horse hair 

 or gut, and sometimes of Indian or other grasses. 

 In choosing silk-worm gut select the roundest, 

 smoothest, and most transparent : and in hair 

 lines, see that there are no flaws or discolourings 

 in them. 



To render gut and hair lines pliant, and for 

 the purpose of tying or knotting them, first soak 

 them in warm water, or rub them with a piece 

 of india-rubber : and if they become chafed or 

 fretted, the use of the India rubber will make 

 them smooth again. Platted silk lines are now 

 much used as running lines for heavy fish ; but 

 for light fly-fishing they are too heavy. The. 

 eight-plat silk line is manufactured expressly 

 for trolling, and for heavy salmon fishing. 



