A dvantages of the Loop- Line. 7 I 



I have stated that for artificial fly-fishing I pre- 

 fer, and constantly use, the spliced rod and loop- 

 line. A reel is of course dispensed with here, and 

 the connection between rod and line is formed by 

 simply passing the loop attached to the line through 

 the corresponding hair -loop at the point of the 

 rod. The length of the hair-line should be regu- 

 lated by the size of the stream. For such a river 

 as the Clyde I employ one of 18 or 19 feet, 

 though some anglers use a considerably longer 

 one. A combination of the two methods of loop- 

 line and reel-line fishing is sometimes effected by 

 using an ordinary jointed rod with reel, and attach- 

 ing the loop-line to the end of the line wound off 

 the reel. This answers very well in large rivers 

 where big fish are abundant ; but for ordinary 

 trouting purposes, the simple loop-line and rod 

 system is much to be preferred. 



The advantages which such a line possesses over 

 the ordinary line are manifest, and have been 

 already alluded to. By its more gradual taper and 

 greater weight, a longer line can be thrown, and 

 this with much more ease and precision, than is at 

 all possible with a reel -line, and consequently a 

 larger number of flies may be used, and a wider 

 stretch of water commanded. The direction and 

 strength of the wind are always important ele- 

 ments in the success of a day's fishing, and. the 



