74 ROD AND RIVER 



inasmuch as there is but very little gut wasted in 

 the tying. Where more than one fly is used on 

 the cast, the gut of these can be advantageously 

 inserted before the strands are pulled together, 

 and a common knot being made in the fly-gut will 

 prevent its slipping through. 



Whether gut or hair is adopted, it is absolutely 

 imperative that it should be well soaked previously, 

 and if time is pressing, warm water may be used 

 for the purpose. It is not a fair test to gut to use 

 it before it has been soaked. Passing it through 

 a piece of india-rubber will serve to straighten it, 

 but it will not render it less brittle ; and when the 

 india-rubber is used, care should be taken not to 

 work it ruthlessly up and down the gut, as the 

 latter is very easily frayed. The india-rubber 

 should be pressed firmly but lightly against the 

 gut, and not drawn from it with a jerk, or other- 

 wise the very object of using it will be frustrated, 

 and the gut will curl up. 



A common round flat box with two pieces of 

 spongiopiline fitted into it, and kept moist, will 

 serve to damp any casts or gut which may be 

 required for use during the journey to the river- 

 side. The gut and casts should, however, be 

 taken out at the end of the day, or they will become 

 rotten. If flies are placed in it, the gut only 

 should be between the layers of spongiopiline, the 

 flies being turned over the top of the upper layer. 



