CHAPTER XV. 



REPAIRS, KNOTS, LOOPS, AND RECEIPTS. 



Repairs. — To wax silk, thread, or twine — Tying on hooks and making 

 loops, illustrated. — Splicing a line and splicing a rod, illustrated. 



Knots. — The angler's single and double knot, and knot used in tying on 

 drop-flies, illustrated. — A gang of hooks, illustrated. 



Receipts. — For making wax. — For dyeing gut. — For dyeing feathers and 

 dubbing. 



To Wax Wrapping- Silk. — The preliminary step in tying 

 on a hook, making an artificial fly, or repairing tackle, is to 

 wax the silk or twine to be used for that purpose. As there 

 is some little knack in this, particularly when the weather is 

 cold, and the wax stiff, it may not be a useless task to 

 describe how it is neatly and effectually done. 



Press between a small piece of folded leather a lump of 

 shoemaker's wax, not larger than a pea; then holding one 

 end of the silk between your teeth, and the other at arm's 

 length, pass the wax lightly but quickly over it, at first 

 with short rubs, then as the wax warms by the friction, with 

 a longer and slower motion, drawing it towards the edges of 

 the folded leather, for the last rub or two, to get rid of any 

 unnecessary quantity of wax on the silk. Thread or twine is 

 waxed in the same manner. 



In fly-making, a wax, lighter, though less adhesive than 

 shoemaker's, is generally used. A small pellet is rolled 

 between the thumb and forefinger until it is soft, when the 



(4(5) 



