18 PROPER THICKNESS OF WINCH-LINES. 



species of line. Eighty yards of such a line, of 

 the thickness of breeding-cage wire, would be suf- 

 ficient to cope with tlie stoutest Tweed or Shannon 

 salmon. I do not approve of lines that taper 

 sharply. They are only fit to carry out fine cast- 

 ing-lines and small flies, and can never be thrown 

 well with a large rod, or against an opposing wind. 

 I am opposed to very thick lines. They may be 

 useful in making the under-handed cast, but for 

 the fair, free cast from the shoulder, they are un- 

 necessary. They are, generally speaking, a cum- 

 brous nuisance, requiring a large, unwieldy winch, 

 and they imbibe too much water for light and 

 graceful casting. No platted salmon-line need be 

 thicker than the barrel of a partridge wing-feather. 

 I am greatly in favour of single gut casting- 

 lines, and twisted treble gut ones I would not 

 use except for spring-fishing. A model line should 

 consist of three or four links of single gut at the 

 extreme or fly-end, then a couple of double gut 

 links, and, lastly, as many of treble gut, to meet 

 the w^inch-line, and be looped on to it. The 

 last treble gut-link should tally in thickness with 

 the end of the reel-line to which it is joined. 

 Provided the gut be fresh and good, I do not see 

 the probability of any fish, under ordinary circum- 

 stances, snapping asunder a line made as just 



