ANGLER'S KNOTS. 45 



formed, draw all tight. Should the material be silk- 

 worm gut, allow the knot to soak a moment in the 

 mouth, before drawing. In making the double knot, 

 pass the lengths twice through, instead of once : this 

 will give greater security to the line, and prevent all 

 possibility of the ends slipping. The double water-knot 

 should always be adopted in making up fine or single 

 tackle for salmon, but gives a clumsy appearance to the 

 trouting line. After the knot is completed, clip away 

 the useless portions of the lengths, but not too closely, 

 and in the case of casting-lines, tie over what is left with 

 fine silk thread. I seldom tie over the knots of the 

 single gut or foot-line in this manner, unless at such a 

 distance from the hook that they do not generally come 

 into contact with the water, and are thus rendered 

 liable to be mistaken for flies. The water-knot is 

 unquestionably the simplest and most expeditious, if 

 not the safest, knot used by the angler, but there is 

 another mode of joining lengths of single gut, occa- 

 sionally practised on Tweedside, and which it behoves 

 him to become acquainted with. This is executed 

 by laying the ends of gut, intended to be joined, side 

 by side ; form a simple knot over each, with the other, 

 thus : 



Draw the knots tight, and pull them together. They 

 will hold fast, in the right direction, but can be sepa- 

 rated, so far, without trouble, by simply drawing them 

 asunder. In affixing bobs or droppers, this mode of 

 joining together the lengths which compose the foot-line 

 has its advantages; the bob or dropper requiring no 



