FISHING GENERALITIES 99 



really good gut, even if very fine, will stand, when 

 this precaution has been taken. Gut usually glitters 

 unduly if a slight staining be not given to it. Soak- 

 ing it in warmish water into which a little coffee has 

 been poured is a sufficient cure for this evil, and a 

 quarter of an hour will be long enough for the im- 

 mersion : a quiet brownish colour should be the 

 result. Sir Herbert Maxwell says that an alder leaf 

 rubbed down the casting line takes off all the shine, 

 and in its place a dull hue, about the tint required, 

 is left. 



Casting lines are often made eight or nine feet 

 long. In my opinion, this, as a rule, is an un- 

 necessary length. Six or seven feet of gut is usually 

 sufficient. Also, by taking off the extra two or three 

 feet from the cast, a most valuable spare length is ob- 

 tained, which can be utilised when a breakage has 

 occurred, or when the casting-line has become too 

 short owing to a constant change of flies, each such 

 shift diminishing the length of gut by an inch or so. 

 It is always as well to have half a dozen fine tippets 

 in one's fly-book in case a slight addition to the length 

 of the cast is required. 



After use the casting line should be placed between 

 the flannel leaves of the fly-book, as then it dries gradu- 

 ally, and is available for further work. A piece of 



