.398 THE PRACTICAL FISHERMAN. 



educated, as in the Thames and most of our public waters, to look with 

 suspicion on the lines presented to them, they ordinarily would use suffi- 

 cient self control to prevent their own capture by such means. Bright 

 gimp cannot but be, in bright water especially, very apparent even to the 

 thick headed dulness of a jack's eye as something quite unusual. I do 

 not go so far as to say Master Jack holds a monologue with himself after 

 this fashion : "Ha, ha, that gimp connects this fine fat dace with that 

 chap in the punt," but I do believe that fish are deterred by anything un- 

 usual from following uninterruptedly their food-getting instincts. Hence, 

 I would say, even as you stain gut, dull the glitter of your gimp. For 

 that purpose, bichloride of platinum or sulphide of potassium is recom- 

 mended as a good stain ; a solution of about one part of either to ten 

 of water. "Don't make it too strong," wisely says Mr. Francis, of the 

 bichloride, " or it will rot the gimp." So I should think ; let the angler 

 try twenty parts of water instead of ten, and afterwards wash his traces 

 under the pump thoroughly. This is a capital dulling stain, however. I 

 have also used a very weak solution of hydrochloric acid with advantage, 

 one part to about thirty of water. 



Gimp should always be tried after it has been put away for any length 

 of time, for this reason. The better the gimp the closer the strands 

 of wire are wrapped round the silk core, and as the water nevertheless 

 inevitably enters and soaks the core, unless gimp is summarily dried 

 before the fire, it retains the moisture a considerable time. A chemical 

 action is often set up in the metal, and this has a rotting effect on the 

 fibre immediately enclosed by it. If possible, therefore, lay the hooks 

 and gimp after use on a warmed plate so as to dry them at once. 



