PRACTICAL FLY-FISHEK. 5 



you have waxed your silk, wrap a piece of smooth 

 paper round it and rub it well, by which means it will 

 acquire a good gloss, and will not so easily imbibe water . 



I prefer hair to gut for Fly-fishing, generally ; 

 hair being a hollow tube, swims better, falls straighter 

 and lighter on the water, and from its stiffness the 

 drop flies are not so liable to wrap round the foot 

 length, or casting line. 



Your Kod for Fly-fishing should not be less than 

 eleven, or more than thirteen feet, in length ; light, 

 and supple: though good rods are made in the country, 

 I think the best are the London made double ferruled. 



I prefer a Kod approaching the maximum length, 

 both on account of the advantage it gives in casting, 

 and besides in playing a fish, every yard of line you 

 can wield adds to the labour of your victim. 



Hair lines, if fine, are to be preferred for fly- 

 fishing; silk, or silk and hair soon rot, and when 

 thick, imbibe too much water, and by falling 

 clumsily on the river, scare the fish. 



Keels or winches are best fitted by the rod-maker. 

 I do not prefer greatly those called multipliers, 

 thinking them more liable to get out of order than 

 the plain ones. 



IMPLEMENTS FOR FLY-MAKING. 



THE implements useful in Fly-making are a good 

 double bladed knife, in which are contained a pair of 



