Hunting Kit and Equipment. 67 



when they can be wrung out and rough-dried on 

 the following morning. They will eventually 

 acquire a delicate cream hue, more pleasing to the 

 eye than staring white. 



In Otter-hunting one often goes by train and 

 '' lies out " at an inn for the night before the 

 meet. A small case for a single change of apparel 

 becomes a necessity. One of the cheap " quick- 

 change " cases made by S. Fisher, Ltd., 188, 

 Strand, is exactly suited for this event, especially 

 if it be fitted with Fisher's waterproof bag, into 

 which all one's wet clothes and boots can be thrown, 

 securely buttoned in, and packed so as to keep the 

 damp contents away from dry apparel and toilet 

 articles. 



Apart from clothes the equipment of the Otter- 

 hunter is very simple, consisting solely of a service- 

 able pole. This should be of a length dictated by 

 the height of the user : nothing looks more ridiculous 

 than a very short Otter-hunter with a very long pole. 

 As a matter of fact, a six-foot pole should serve 

 for anyone who is not really gigantic, but the usual 

 rule is for one's pole not to exceed one's stature by 

 more than a foot. Most poles are made of ash, 

 though some people prefer the more clumsy bamboo 

 pole as being lighter. A diameter of ijin. gives the 

 most serviceable size : a thinner pole than this has 

 little strength and will 'Warp easily, while a thicker 



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