894 THE PRACTICAL FISHERMAN. 



contents of the duct which furnishes the silk of the cocoon. The worm, 

 just before it is ready to spin, is dropped into acid, and the elongated 

 gut-like sac containing the then partially concealed viscus is drawn 

 gradually and swiftly out between the finger and fixed to dry, thus 

 stretched. Of course there are details in the preparation and treatment 

 of the worm and its produce of which I am not cognisant. The foregoing 

 is, however, substantially the process. 



For my own part I always obtain gut in its white state, and stain it 

 myself. The necessity for staining gut is obvious, although it can only, 

 it is true, rest on theory and the success apparently ensuing from the* 

 use of a judicious stain. The basis of all staining is the consideration', 

 that the vegetation of the river or lake is of a certain hue, tempered by 

 the depth of the water and general condition of the atmosphere. I say 

 " of the atmosphere," because it is certain that if the sky be leaden and 

 lowering even the flowers and verdure of the meadows appear less 

 accurate in tint, or in some cases totally changed. A summer sunset 

 glow will occasionally bathe everything in a rich glamour totally different 

 to the actual colour of the landscape. Similarly with fish and their 

 habitations. The stain should vary " from grave to gay, from lively to 

 severe," according, not to the fisher's fancy, but to the exigencies of 

 stream and climate. 



The following are some capital recipes : 



First, Judson's dyes may be reckoned as amongst the best and most 

 useful of all dyes that can be used by the amateur tackle maker. 

 Directions for using are on every bottle, and to these I can only 

 add that a little less water than is there prescribed ought to be 

 used for gut. 



Light yellow or amber. 1 scruples of quercibion bark, 1 scruple alum, 

 1 scruple cream of tartar, 16 grains of madder, 4 drops muriate of tin. 

 Immerse three minutes. 



Another amber stain. Steep a large handful of the common 

 barberry tree in a pint of boiling water, and let it stand a couple 

 of hours. 



Green colour or water weed. Boil the gut in an alum mordant and then 

 in a solution of indigo mixed with sufficient turmeric to give the charac- 

 teristic green colour. 



Another green colour. Steep the gut in strong green tea for twelve 

 hours. 



Light brown stain. Strong coffee. 



Blue water colour. Blue-black bank ink. 



Bluish green. Boil a handful of logwood in a pint of water, and add' 

 copperas until of a sufficiently deep colour. Immerse the gut, when the 



