ON TACKLE 7 



held till it is required for use, and then one hand 

 easily releases it ; kneeling and creeping, operations 

 necessary for success in well-fished waters, do not tend 

 to dislodge the net ; and the detachment by the hand is 

 instantaneously accomplished, so that the attention is 

 not taken off the fish. 



As regards waders a word or two may be said : In hot 

 June or July weather it is, perhaps, as well not to use 

 them, but rather to wear a pair of flannel trousers and 

 light tennis shoes, and wade in, all standing. If waders 

 are worn, they should be kept turned down when not in 

 the water, and it is advisable to wear an extra pair of socks 

 inside the waders to catch the moisture condensed upon 

 their inner surface. In this way the feet are kept dry 

 and chill avoided. As regards brogues, for chalk stream 

 work the rubber brogues are very comfortable, but should 

 be got to fit snugly over the outside sock, or else gravel 

 works in and spoils the wader. The large studs in the soles 

 also tend to work out, and the vendors refuse to repair 

 or make good the damage, for some mysterious reason 

 best known to themselves. 



As regards the mysteries of flies, I am neither com- 

 petent nor anxious to write ; the subject has already 

 been voluminously treated by others ; I would only 

 therefore say a word or two on the cast and the knots 

 used. Of course, at this time of day, it is un- 

 necessary to say eyed flies should be used, because 

 hardly any dry-flies are made on gut, As regards the 

 cast, this in my opinion is usually made too long, and 

 this length has come into vogue because the reel line has 

 been hitherto used too thick. With the thin lines 

 advocated I have found a shorter cast much more con- 

 venient, and now prefer a six-foot length tapered to finest 

 natural gut, with an 18 inch single-drawn point for 

 mayfly or heavy flsh, and a 14-inch XX for ordinary 

 work. 



The best knot for attaching the point to the eyed-hook, 

 or, in fact, an end to any loop, is one which was shown 

 me by Col. Smythe some years ago, and called by him 

 the Double Figure-of-eight (Fig 6). This is simply made 



