THE LINE. 79 



consequence, but if there be any preference it is, 

 perhaps, in favour of light green and pepper and 

 salt colour. Lines of bay hair and white silk, 

 intermingled, are the favourite sort of many ; the 

 best colour, however, is that which shows least 

 conspicuously in the water, and it can be selected 

 by the angler without further instructions from 

 us. We hope, however, that he will not be too 

 fanciful, and prove "more nice than wise," for 

 some ingredients used in dyeing lines, as well as 

 other articles, have properties not calculated to 

 increase their strength or durability. Oil is some- 

 times applied to lines from a mistaken notion of 

 its preservative qualities, when the fact is that 

 few substances make horse-hair more quickly 

 rotten. Of this we had satisfactory proof, some 

 years since, on the first day of the season, after 

 our line had been saturated with oil during the 

 winter. The day was most propitious rising 

 time had commenced, and we had the gratifica- 

 tion to see the first large fish that we hooked 

 sail off with some half-a-dozen yards of our " best 

 London patent," collar and flies also, of course. 



The best silk-and-hair wove lines, called the 

 London patent, are sold at the rate of three 

 pence per yard ; silk-and-hair spun lines at three 

 halfpence ; and hair lines at a penny per yard. 



