RECIPES AND NOTABILIA 359 



many pounds are constantly destroyed by hasty drying. John 

 does not think of it over night, and when the boots are wanted 

 in the morning they are damp. Then comes the fire to work, 

 and hinc ilia lachrymce. The sun, if you can make use of him, 

 is a much safer medium ; turn the boots down as far as you can, 

 prop them open with sticks, and let the sun's rays strike down 

 into them. Never allow your mackintoshes to be hung up on a 

 peg, for more mackintoshes are spoilt by this plan than by all 

 the wear you can give them. The peg point cracks the rubber 

 by stretching it, and a new mackintosh is often rendered leaky 

 in one night. Even if hung up by the loop, which is appended 

 to them for that purpose, there is a heavy drag upon two points, 

 which will, sooner or later, produce the same result. I always 

 spread mine over a chair back, or fold up and put it away in a 

 cupboard when not wanted. Never mind what waterproofers 

 say about hanging up. Repairing is their business, and wearing 

 out is yours. Many a time have I got wet through with a nearly 

 new mackintosh, and from no other reason than a minute peg 

 split, not bigger than a pin's point. 



Dry Lines. All lines and nets after using should be spread 

 out, or hung up, to dry. A trolling or fly line can be unwound, 

 and either wound round the back of a chair or laid upon the 

 sideboard in loose coils ; but by no means put them away in the 

 least damp, or when you see them again they will be found to be 

 perfectly rotten and useless. 



To Preserve Gut, Silk, Tinsel, etc. Neither keep it in too 

 dry, or rather warm, a place, lest it become brittle, nor in a 

 damp place, where it will become rotten. Do not expose it 

 either to the air more than possible or to the sun, for light 

 appears to have a very deleterious effect upon gut and silk ; a 

 hank of gut exposed in a shop-window speedily gets rotten and 

 unreliable. I usually coil the gut and wrap it in a piece of 

 flannel and put it away in a box till required. The same may 

 be said of tying silks precisely, while tinsel must be kept in the 

 dark to preserve its colour. It may be partially restored by 

 wetting the fingers with a little spirit, and drawing the tinsel 

 between them repeatedly ; but it never attains its pristine 

 brilliance. Very dim tinsel in some old fly, which it may be 

 thought desirable to give one more trial to, may be brightened 

 up by the application of a knife. 



Old Flies or Hooks Drawing. Many an old fly or hook will 

 draw, that is, the gut will draw away from the hook when first 

 used. But dry gut will draw when wet will not. Therefore, 



