HINTS FOR BEGINNERS. 5 



in fact, every portion of his shooting paraphernalia. 

 Nearly all persons who do not shoot regularly fire 

 their right barrel first. When such is the case, your 

 left barrel should shoot the strongest, as the second 

 shot is generally at longer range. A good workman, 

 however, will use either indifferently, a practice to be 

 commended, so that one barrel may not become more 

 worn than the other. A fault which a great number 

 are addicted to, is using too much shot. An ounce of 

 number five, or any of the smaller sizes, is amply suffi- 

 cient for a twelve or even ten-bore gun. However, if 

 you have reason to use a larger grain, a quarter of an 

 ounce more may be added to the charge. The reason 

 for this is that the small packs closer, and thus makes 

 a more formidable resistance to the explosive power. 

 For strong shooting, and, therefore, long shots, it is 

 the driving force that is required, which you counteract 

 by surplus lead, as friction is increased and so power 

 wasted. 



Old hands may smile after reading the above, and 

 justly say, "The fellow has told us nothing new;" 

 but remember we are not all old hands, and that 

 there are many beginners, for whose benefit these 

 hints are given. 



The fly rod, like the gun, cannot be too light, as long 

 as it possesses the requisite strength. For while fishing 

 it is incessantly at work, the respite for loading not 

 even being granted ; thus if a heavy gun after a hard 

 day's work will make you undershoot your game, a 

 heavy rod will have a greater tendency to make you a 

 sluggard at evening in striking your fish, and the 

 result will be about similar in both instances. For the 

 trout fisherman he, I mean, who fly-fishes bums and 



