130 ELEMENTS OF ANGLING. 



have the words " nin. or fib." but I should say it 

 is comparatively seldom that an nin. trout weighs 

 so much as that; 8oz. to looz. would represent its 

 weight more nearly, even in favourable circum- 

 stances. The most usual limit on good waters is 

 perhaps lib., while on some few it is as high as 

 i^lb., and on a very few 2lb. If there is no stated 

 limit where the novice fishes, and if the fishing is 

 good, he would not do amiss to have a voluntary 

 limit of lib. This first fish weighs i-^lb., and so is 

 fair prey. Remembering the fight it made, and the 

 way in which it got into the weeds, the novice will 

 now do well to look at his gut point to see if it is 

 frayed. 



A frayed point is, of course, not so strong as a 

 smooth one, but it is chiefly objectionable, I think, 

 as being more visible to the fish. This may be 

 imagination on my part, but many other anglers 

 agree with me. If the fraying is very bad I cut off 

 the point and put on a new one ; if it is slight, I rub 

 the gut down with a little piece of indiarubber 

 snipped from the outer fold of a tobacco pouch B 

 This has a good, though not very lasting, effect. 

 Next the fly is dried by being pressed in the corner 

 of a duster, its wings and hackles are " preened" 

 into order again, and all is ready for the next fish. 

 The first fish, by the way, should have been 



