THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 235 



be clean washed ere you go about to twist it ; and then choose 

 not only the clearest hair for it, but hairs that be of an equal 

 bigness, for such do usually stretch all together, and break all 

 together, which hairs of an unequal bigness never do, but break 

 singly, and so deceive the angler that trusts to them. 



When you have twisted your links, lay them in water for a 

 quarter of an hour at least, and then twist them over again be- 

 fore you tie them into a line ; for those that do not so, shall 

 usually find their line to have a hair or two shrink, and be shorter 

 than the rest at the first fishing with it, which is so much of the 

 strength of the line lost for want of first watering it and then 

 re-twisting it ; and this is most visible in a seven-hair line, one 

 of those which hath always a black hair in the middle. 



And for dyeing of your hairs,* do it thus : take a pint of strong 

 ale, half a pound of soot, and a little quantity of the juice of 



* Salter's recipes for dyeing hair and gut are very simple : " To stain 

 hair or gut of a pale sorrel color, let it remain a few minutes in a cup of 

 strong coffee, or black tea boiling hot. To give it a pale slate color, mix 

 boiling water and black ink in equal parts, and put the hair or gut in it for 

 a moment only. For a greyish water colour, dissolve a little alum and 

 indigo in boiling water, let it stand till it is cold, and dip the hair or gut 

 in it till it has acquired the tint you wish." 



Theophilus South is more particular. " No 1. An azure or neutral tint, 

 similar to the ink dye : 1 drachm logwood, 6 grains copperas. No. 2. An 

 azure tint more pink than No. 1 : 2 scruples of alum instead of the cop- 

 peras (the less you use copperas the better). No. 3. A dingy or dirty 

 olive (a very good color) : add 3 scruples quercitron bark to No. 2. No. 

 4. 1 drachm madder, 1 scruple alum. No. 5. A light yellow or amber : 1^ 

 scriiple quercitron bark, 1 scruple alum, 6 grains madder, 4 drops muriate 

 of tin, 1 scruple cream of tartar. Boil these ingredients in an earthen pip- 

 kin with a pint and a half of water for about ten minutes. Take the pipkin 

 off the fire, and after a minute or so immerse the gut, tied very loosely, if 

 at all — for No. 1, not longer than 2^ or 3 minutes by the watch ; for No. 2, 

 3 minutes ; for No. 3, 2 to 3 minutes ; for No. 4, 5 to 6 minutes ; for No. 5, 

 2i minutes. On taking the gut from the pipkin, cast it into a basin of 

 clear, cold water, and rinse it well ; wipe it and let it dry awhile ; then 

 take each length separately, and holding it by the end between the teeth, 

 rub it with Indian rubber, which not only cleans and straightens it, but 

 also tests its strength. After this, clip off the bad end, tie all up neatly 

 together, and keep it d^tfuil length in a paper or parchment case, with an 

 inner one of thin paper rubbed with olive oil, which in moderation pre- 

 serves gut." 



