LINES AND REELS. 2$ 



securing greater durability, and I shall hope at a future 

 opportunity to go more fully into this question with 

 reference to a few experiments which I have carried 

 out, — but I am satisfied that up to the present time no 

 practical application of either of these dressings has been 

 arrived at, or, at least, made public, which, having regard 

 to the numerous points to be considered, will bear com- 

 parison with common 8-plait oiled silk, and I recommend 

 the use of this line — of course of different sizes — for all 

 sorts of Pike and Salmon fishing, paternostering, leger- 

 fishing, and Minnow-spinning. 



It cannot be denied, however, that there is always 

 some little uncertainty in the effect of oil dressings, 

 especially when manipulated by amateurs ; and I have 

 on several occasions had lines returned after re-dressing 

 — and that too from very careful hands — which for some 

 reason or other seemed to become in parts almost imme- 

 diately rotten, a result as far as I could judge, only 

 attributable to the effect of the new dressing. 



One great safeguard against premature decay we 

 know ; and that is, never to put by a line until it has 

 been thoroughly dried. Attention to this simple pre- 

 caution will save some expense, and not a few of those 

 precipitate partings between fish and fisherman, which 

 are so painful to at least one of the parties concerned. 



From 60 to 80 yards will be found the most convenient 

 length of trolling line for general use ; as to sub- 

 stance, a medium rather than a very fine or very stout 



