Leaders. 69 



thick as a middling-sized pin or stout knittling-needle. 

 In length, the part for use should run from sixteen to 

 eighteen inches at least, and the longer the better, pro- 

 vided the substance be uniform. The thicker trout gut 

 should be of the diameter of ordinary sewing silk, while 

 the thinner sort may be almost the very finest you can 

 procure, provided it be ' round and sound,' and keeping 

 in view all other requisites for strength. Ten to sixteen 

 inches is the usual length of each strand." 



To this may be added one point. Soak an average 

 strand or two of your gut, tie a loop in each end, place 

 one end over a hook and the other on a spring-balance, 

 and find what the breaking strain actually is. Gut of the 

 same diameter differs so much in strength that this will 

 not be wasted time. I have made an attempt to tabulate 

 the fair average of strength to be expected from gut of 

 certain sizes, but the measurements are so minute, and 

 require appliances so unusual to determine them, that it 

 has been abandoned as of no practical value. I myself 

 always measure gut before purchasing it. Sometimes I 

 have used a Stubb's wire-gauge for this purpose, but it 

 is much too coarse. Uncolored gut No. 28 on that stand- 

 ard should stand eight pounds steady pull with a spring- 

 balance ; the drawn gut measures thereon about No. 31, 

 and should stand two and a half pounds. New gut of 

 No. 30 should not break short of four and a half to five 

 pounds tested in this manner. I now use a gauge simi- 

 lar to that employed to determine the thickness of violin 

 strings. It is very easily made, and is quite satisfactory. 



A A represents two pieces of brass touching at one 

 end, but separated about an ordinarily fine sewing-nee- 

 dle's thickness at the other. The adjacent edges must 

 be straight. On each side of the closed ends a flat piece 



