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CHAPTER IV. 



ON THE BEST SORTS OF LINES, REELS, HOOKS, 

 &C. 



A REEL-LINE of twenty yards in length is 

 sufficiently long for the river Dove, and for the 

 other trout and grayling streams of the mid- 

 land counties. For the lesser streams we 

 recommend a line not longer than fifteen yards. 

 A reel-line entirely made of silk is extremely 

 objectionable, as it readily imbibes the water, 

 and thereby becomes too heavy for being 

 thrown lightly ; a line entirely made of hair 

 is equally objectionable, as it will not be pliant 

 enough, and is too apt to kink. The best 

 decidedly the best lines, are composed partly 

 of silk, partly of hair. The proportions of 

 both those materials necessary for the compo- 

 sition of a good line are as follow : 



A line twenty yards long must consist of 

 three twists; all of those twists must have 

 each one very fine white silk thread, one fine 

 white hair, two light-brown hairs, and one dark- 



