42 THE PRACTICAL ANGLER 



frequently has, and which renders it more easily seen 

 than clear gut of twice the thickness. Thinness, 

 however, is the great desideratum, as the thinner it 

 is, there is the less chance of the trout detecting it. 

 Some anglers, particularly those in the North, seem 

 to think that gut cannot be had too thick, whereas 

 the reverse is the case it cannot be had too fine. 



Of late years, fishing-tackle manufacturers have 

 been in the habit of reducing the size of gut, which 

 is done by drawing it through a machine, and paring 

 away a considerable portion of the gut. By this 

 means it may be made of any thinness, but it injures 

 the texture of the gut, and destroys its transparency, 

 and it is certainly better if it can be had sufficiently 

 fine without reducing. Gut prepared in this manner 

 is also very expensive ; costing from ten to sixteen 

 shillings a hank. 



All gut is more or less of a clear colour, which 

 glitters in the sun, and in order to divest it of this 

 it requires to be stained. The colour of the dye 

 used is of little consequence ; the object being to 

 render it of a dull colour, and this may be best 

 accomplished by dyeing it of a bluish-green. This 

 dye may be made by boiling a handful of logwood 

 in a pint of water, and adding copperas till it is of 

 the required colour. A piece of copperas about half 

 the size of a pea will be sufficient ; if too much is 

 put in, it will make it quite blue. The gut should 

 be put into the liquid when cold, and allowed to 

 remain till it is of the required colour. 



Gut plays a very important part in the formation 



