yo THE BRITISH ANGLER'S LEXICON. 



should also be clear, not opaque, as the latter denotes 

 brittleness. Horse hair casting lines are favourites with 

 many good and careful anglers, and have many advantages. 

 They are very elastic, and throw with great truth and light- 

 ness, keep very free from getting into kinks, and if they do, 

 are very easily righted ; but it is very difficult to obtain good 

 hair, hence it is superseded to a great extent by gut. The 

 best hair is obtained from the tails of cream-coloured stallions, 

 four or five years old. All discoloured, wavy, or flat-shaped 

 hairs should be discarded, and round transparent ones chosen. 

 The casting lines from these may be made up in the same 

 way as the gut ones, but it is an advantage to have what is 

 called a "bridle" attached to them that is: first next the 

 reel line four hairs twisted, and then a length with three hairs 

 twisted, and then the single hairs. This makes the line go 

 out with greater perfection when casting. A hair casting 

 line will not bear sudden jerks, but will stand an even pull 

 of some pounds, and gives much pleasure to the observant 

 angler in playing a fish, as owing to its great elasticity 

 the weight of a fish seems very much more than it 

 turns out to be when got into the net. It is invisible, or as 

 near it as possible, to the trout, and will perform wonders 

 sometimes in very, clear water. It floats better than gut, 

 and keeps the flies more lively. It should never be tried in 

 rivers where fish run over one and a half pounds. When 

 casting lines are rolled up after use, the larger the coil the 

 better ; they are more easily straightened than if coiled 

 up small. 



Cast Nets. These are large bell-shaped nets from 

 eight to eighteen yards in circumference, weighted with 

 bullets round the edge, and have the latter looped up 

 inwards to form a sack to hold the fish. They are used for 



