CASTING LINES. 13 



them together, increasing or diminishing gradually in 

 size according to the end you have commenced at. 

 Care must be taken that such a knot be used as there 

 is no slip to. The safest I know of is formed thus : 

 take the ends to be joined, and place them alongside 

 one another, then take one end and make a single , 

 hitch by doubling it back and passing the end through 

 the loop, which pull tight. Do the same with the 

 reverse end, when by pulling on the line both will slip 

 together, the strain having the tendency to lock the 

 knot. After cutting off the surplus ends, take a few 

 turns of very fine silk to whip them down, and the 

 smallest quantity of varnish will add much to the 

 appearance of the line. There is no amusement that 

 I wot of in which it is so requisite for its lover to 

 know how to make use of his hands and ingenuity. 

 Bad luck, or whatever you choose to call it, may, 

 before an hour's fishing be done, reduce you to the 

 alternative of either ceasing work or manufacturing out 

 of broken fragments a new casting line. Very possibly 

 this is caused by the fish being more than usually on 

 the feed. How disagreeable to be compelled at such a 

 time to halt ! better far to spend ten minutes with the 

 dry end of gut in your mouth, the more rapidly to 

 render the hairs fit for knotting, and to know how to 

 put them together afterwards, than be obliged to 

 cease. 



The rings upon your rod should be large and not 

 too numerous ; five are sufficient for the lower joints, 

 and about five more for the tip, supposing it to be a 

 rod thirteen feet in length, and in three pieces. In 

 America I lately saw rods ringed on both sides, so that 

 if after unusual hard work and constant use a tendency 



