PRELIMINARIES. 1 1 



the winder with lines ready furnished on it. But I 

 do not advise that proceeding ; it only puts off the 

 evil day, when the novice must learn to furnish 

 lines for himself. 



Floats are of great variety and are pretty things, 

 and it is here that the novice will be sorely tempted 

 to extravagance. But let him at first be firm, and 

 content himself with four two 5in. cork floats of 

 slim torpedo shape and two long porcupine quills, 

 the longer the better. The cork floats may be of 

 any colours preferred ; I like those that are red 

 above and green below; the porcupine quills are 

 better with red tops the top of the float, by the 

 way, is the end without a ring. I have seen young 

 anglers fishing with their floats upside down. I 

 know of no valid reason why they should not if 

 they want to, but the proceeding is apt to give rise 

 to ribald comment. Of gut casts, the novice should 

 purchase half a dozen. Two of them should be 

 strong (" medium lake trout " is the thing to ask 

 for), two should be a size finer, and two should be 

 " finest undrawn." The tackle-maker will explain 

 these terms, with others of a like nature, if it is 

 desired ; but it is more necessary that the novice 

 should at first know what he is to buy than why his 

 purchases have certain names. The length of the 

 casts should be two yards, and they will cost about 



