64 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



that, I should declare that I think the open way the better, be- 

 cause it makes less show in the water, but that I have found an 

 inconvenience, or two, or three, that have made me almost weary 

 of that way ; of which one is, that without dispute they are not 

 so strong open as twisted ; another, that they are not easily to be 

 fastened of so exact an equal length in the arming, that the one 

 will not cause the other to bag, by which means a man has but 

 one hair upon the matter to trust to ; and the last is, that these 

 loose flying hairs are not only more apt to catch upon every twig 

 or bent they meet with, but moreover the hook, in falling upon 

 the water, will very often rebound, and fly back betwixt the 

 hairs, and there stick, which, in a rough water especially, is not 

 presently to be discerned by the angler, so as the point of the 

 hook shall stand reversed ; by which means your fly swims 

 backward, makes a much greater circle in the water, and, till 

 taken home to you and set right, will never raise any fish ; or if 

 it should, I am sure, but by a very extraordinary chance, can 

 hit none. 



Having done with both these ways of fishing at the top, the 

 length of your rod, and line and all, I am next to teach you how 



desirable success. It is distinguished, according to its thickness, into 

 salmon gut and trout gut. The salmon gut, when best, is as thick as a 

 large pin, and (the part fit for use) nearly a foot and a half long. The 

 trout gut is of the thickness of sewing silk, and finer, and from nine to 

 fifteen or sixteen inches long. The salmon gut should be used in our lake 

 fishing. Great pains should be taken in the selection of gut, and, after a 

 hank is purchased, it is far better to reject whatever strands show any 

 deficiency, than to run risk of greater loss and vexation. Gut, to be good, 

 should be round and smooth, and hard. The best test is to draw it through 

 the teeth, and then try its strength by the pocket weighing machine 

 which every well-furnished angler carries about him. Gut should be 

 thoroughly wet, before an attempt is made to bend it into a knot, as more 

 fish are lost from the gut cutting itself, which it will do if such precaution 

 is not used, than from its breaking. The same care should be had, on 

 coming to the water side, before a cast is made. Not only the snood, 

 but the bottom line {Americanice, leader) should be of gut, from six to 

 nine feet of which are sufficient. Gut is apt to fray, which may be par- 

 tially prevented by waxing it. 



The Manilla grass was, and is sometimes now used in place of gut, but 

 it is not trustworthy, being too liable to rot, especially in fresh water.— 

 •dm, Ed. 



