8 The Angler's Tackle and Equipment. 



possess, are turned to the fullest advantage when 

 he employs the spliced rod ; and, with it in his 

 hands, he will be ready to admit that the good 

 results of his hard day's fishing, especially if the 

 trout have been "taking" well, were in no small 

 degree attributable to the superiority of his tools. 



The Casting-Line. This line is made of horse- 

 hairs, not too firmly twisted the lengths of hairs 

 being knotted at their junction, and the ends neatly 

 tied with well-rosined silk thread. It tapers grad- 

 ually from the loop to the gut. The number of 

 hairs composing the thickest part of the line at the 

 loop ranges from thirty-six to forty-five, according 

 to fineness, diminishing gradually to five or six at 

 the point where the gut-line is attached. The 

 length of the casting-line should be from 18 to 20 

 feet. The loop at the top is about three inches 

 long, and is passed through the corresponding loop 

 of smaller size attached to the rod. 



The Gut-Line. The gut -line, as distinguished 

 from the casting-line proper, measures from 16 to 

 17 feet, and so the total length of line from the 

 loop to the trail-fly is from 34 to 37 feet. The 

 gut should be tapered as well as the hair-line 

 the strongest lengths being selected for the por- 

 tion next the casting-line, and the finer for the re- 

 mainder, so as to preserve the tapering of the line 

 throughout its entire length from loop to fly. 



