80 FLY FISHING. 



Old Angler. If you'll attend to me for a minute or two I'll shew 

 you almost as effectual a remedy, and certainly a very simple one. 

 Cut a small branch from a bush a thorn, white or black, is the 

 best slight enough to fit into the ferrule of the joint next your 

 top, though perhaps the better plan is to whip it to the rod itself 

 with a piece of stout waxed thread, as I now do in little more time 

 than it takes me to talk about it. Having this thing, which for 

 want of some more applicable term, I call a ragged stick, fixed to 

 the rod, I reach it upwards till I bring it to bear upon the broken 

 line. See the affection with which thorn bushes and fishing lines 

 ever embrace each other when they meet ! So that with a little 

 turning and contriving I find no difficulty in getting them firmly 

 attached to each other, and having effected their union, I twist and 

 turn away till I bring my ragged stick as near as I can to the 

 fastened hook. Now you may perceive I have wound up tight to 

 within a foot of it, and it is fastened too high to allow me to progress 

 further so now I pull steadily right down and break the gut to 

 within a few inches of the fly. And now you see when you have 

 disentangled your foot line from the stick, the fly and part of the 

 link attached to it, is the utmost extent of your loss, as far as that 

 portion of your tackle is concerned. 



Scholar. Your very simple plan has indeed surprised me, for 

 though I have fished so often, and I believe have read most of the 

 publications on the art of angling, I was never aware of the exist- 

 ence of so simple a contrivance as this. If I had, I am certain it 

 would have saved me yards and yards of gut, and a double portion 

 of vexation into the bargain. May I ask are you the inventor of 

 this truly useful discovery ? 



Old Angler. Why as to that I can hardly pretend to say : I cer- 

 tainly made the discovery without any previous hint being given 

 me; but at the same time it is very probable that Dame Necessity, 

 who beat the invention into my head, may have suggested the 

 same simple contrivance to many others beside. And now the 

 next thing to be considered about is the repair of your fractured 

 top. 



Scholar. That I believe I have sufficient skill after a manner to 

 set to rights myself, and as it is broken off in the middle of one of 

 the joins the silk of the splice can perform the same office again. 



Old Angler. Yes, it certainly will, but as this splice is only 

 intended to be temporary, and the old silk is very fine and some- 



