FINISHING UP THE TROUTING RIG. 175 



numerous theories about fly-books, there can be but few about 

 bait-boxes. I will therefore state, beware of those three- 

 story complications. Procure a box as simple as possible in 

 construction, made to slide on and be supported by the waist- 

 belt which holds up the wading water-proofs, or the common 

 leather waist-belt. It should consist of two compartments, 

 one for worm and the other for minnow, or for grub-worms 

 and grasshoppers. 



CARRYING CASTS OF FLIES. Instead of winding a casting- 

 line round the hat, a double band is made to fit the hat and 

 buckle round over the hat-band, and the casting-line or snell- 

 ed flies are attached to it and folded in, so as not to expose 

 them, or render them liable to get loose and dangle about, to 

 the danger of the face and eyes. The Calcutta or Gibraltar 

 sporting-hat, illustrated on the plate with the salmon-rod, is 

 excellently adapted for carrying snelled flies or casts. A 

 " snelled fly" is a length of silk-worm gut, with a fly at one 

 end and a loop at the other. 



STRAIGHTENING CASTING-LINES. Hitch the line at one end 

 either by the hook or a loop, and rub the line with brown 

 paper between your thumb and finger, and it will take the 

 turns out of it ; or, rub it between India-rubber ; but both 

 these methods tend to chafe the gut more or less, and neither 

 should be resorted to if you can have time to soak the gut in 

 tepid water half an hour. I am in the habit of soaking my 

 casting-line over night in cold water if I intend to fish early 

 ( the next morning ; and I am accustomed also to selecting the 

 flies which I think may be necessary, and on the rim of a glass 

 nearly filled with water I hang the hooks, letting the gut fall 

 in the glass and soak all night. I do not approve of straight- 

 ening gut by friction when soaking it is possible. 



Thus, with a finely-balanced and finished fly-rod, a click 

 reel attached to the rod below the hand, a silk and hair 

 braided line, protected from the effect of water by being 

 oiled, varnished, or saturated with some oleaginous substance, 

 braided like a whip-lash to taper each way from the middle, 



