THE OVERHAND KNOT 



125 



of knot, and yet it is one on which practically all the 

 fastenings depend. The best method, in my opinion, 

 and the one I recommend for attaching the end of the 

 cast to an eyed hook, is to pass the end of the gut 

 through the eye of the fly, and then to form this over- 

 hand knot round the unthreaded portion of the gut, 

 so that the end lies alongside and pointing up the cast 



FIG. 1. 



FIG. 2. 



FIG. 3. 



DIAGRAM 10. 



FIG. 1. Method of attaching dropper to line. 



FIG. 2. Overhand knot drawn taut on the eye of hook. 



FIG. 3. Overhand knot loose. 



(see Diagrams 10 and 11, Figs. 2 and 4). It is drawn 

 tight as it stands, and is then pulled down to the eye 

 of the fly, and the end cut off. This forms the safest 

 knot which can be used on small flies, and is the one 

 I invariably adopt (see Diagram 10, Figs. 1 and 3). 



There is, however, what is known to the sailor as the 

 half -hitch, which is shown in Diagram 11, Fig. 6. If 



