Fish and Fishing 



fore putting them away. Even the best lines 

 become weak and worthless through a want of 

 proper and judicious treatment. 



GUT 



The material of which leaders and snells are 

 composed is produced in Spain and Italy. It is 

 the fluid silk, drawn out into various lengths, from 

 the silk- worm. When the worm is about to spin 

 its cocoon it is killed by being immersed in vine- 

 gar which perhaps has also some effect on the 

 viscid fluid in the sacs. These sacs are then 

 stretched, the fluid being drawn out until the 

 proper length is obtained, when the two ends are 



wound around pins driven into a 

 What is Gut? . , , ,, . 



trame. Atterward the adhering 



skin is stripped off, leaving the gut fibre white and 

 glistening. It is then sorted according to thick- 

 ness and quality and tied in bunches. This, then, 

 is what is known as gut. The silk-worm gut im- 

 ported into the United States, and used for lead- 

 ers and snells, is in short lengths of from twelve 

 to fifteen inches. In forming leaders these are 

 knotted together to the desired length. There are 

 many grades of gut, and to buy the best is the 

 cheapest. I do not advise buying 

 the strands to make leaders. It is 



Leaders far better and cheaper to get leaders 



ready made. The best salmon lead- 



ers are from six to nine feet long and cost from 



sixty cents up. They are furnished with and 



252 



