Chapt. xviii. Soaking Ovi. 225 



have a neat knot as in Figure :'■. When ueatlytied ami well pulled 

 together, in well soaked gut, the knot is a very neat and strong one 

 indeed. Of course you will arrange to have a large loop at one 

 end, and a small at the other A very little manipulation is 

 sufficient for this. 



Put the end of your trace through the small loop, and then 

 pass the big loop through the trace Loop, and you have then 

 furnished your trace with a large loop of double salmon gut 

 big enougli to pass any bait, and strong enough to hold any fish; 

 stronger, probably, than your spinning trace, which is seldom made 

 of such Btrone tnit. 



Thoroughly soaking your gut, before tying any km its in it, is a 



precaution inculcated in all hooks on angling; but 

 Soaking gut. . . 



it is very much more important to attend to this 



in India than it is in England, because in a tropical clime the gut 

 is much more dry and brittle, and consequently cracks more easily. 

 But if the gut is soaked in cold water till it is quite soft and limp, 

 there is no fear. 



It' your trace, your phantom, or fly collar, has been much 

 doubled up in your book or case, I would suggest well wetting and 

 straightening it in the river, before trusting it with a heavy fish. 

 Indeed, I would suggest well wetting it whether it has been so 

 doubled up or not, for the fish may give it an uncanny turn, and I 

 have lost two good fish in an evening, and that on treble gut fresh 

 from England, solely from the gut being dry and brittle and easily 

 broken. Always soak your gut thoroughly, therefore, both before 

 tying, and before fishing, Do not trust to your not getting a run 

 the first half dozen casts, and your line being by that time well 

 soaked and pliable, but soak before endangering it at all. Ami if 

 you have a man with you, as elsewhere recommended, always keeping 

 a second hook ready baited for you, take care that that snood is well 

 soaked. Do not let him hang it out to dry in his hand or keep it in his 

 pocket, but have him drop it into the bait-can when ready, and let it 

 Boak there till wanted. I always put my spinning trace and two 

 flights of hooks into the bait-can before starting for the riverside, 

 so that, by the time I reach the fishing-ground, they are soft from 

 having been well soaked and 1 can begin fishing with them with- 

 out delay. Another simple plan is to steep a pocket-handkerchief in 

 water, half wring it out, and wrap your tackle in it before starling. 

 the hod in [sni. y 



