146 THE BRITISH ANGLER'S LEXICON. 



well. A short, stout rod and a line of forty yards may be 

 used for ledgering. 



are very useful to protect the legs of the 

 angler from tears and scratches when walking through 

 briars, furze, &c., which very often fringe the banks of 

 mountain streams. In Scotland, where adders occasionally 

 lurk about the banks of rivers, these leggings are essential 

 to prevent injury from their bites. The best material is 

 tanned canvas, as it is porous and not so apt to sweat the 

 legs as those made of leather. It is also very strong, and 

 will not tear easily. They fit nicely over knicker stockings. 



Line DrieP. This is a most useful article, made so as 

 to screw on a table ; it is a skeleton drum of wood, with 

 a handle, and used for winding off a wet line from the 

 rod reel, that it may get thoroughly dried before putting 

 away. (See " Lines.") 



Lines. By these are meant the main lines which are 

 wound upon the reel attached to butt of fishing rod, and 

 carried through the rings and fastened to the casting line. 

 They form an important part of the fishing gear, and some 

 judgment is required in choosing them, so that they may 

 suit the rod to which they are attached, especially in weight, 

 as a heavy rod with a light line, and vice versa, is a mistake, 

 Lines may be composed of various materials, viz., of horse 

 hair, twisted ; of silk and horse hair, mixed ; of fine silk, 

 twisted or braided, and finished with waterproof varnish or 

 enamel; of cotton, hemp, and flax. The two latter fibres are 

 only used for coarse fishing lines, and for night or set lines. 

 Cotton makes very good lines if well coated with waterproof 

 varnish ; without this they cling to the rod when wet. 

 Hair alone is now seldom to be met with ; although strong, 



