324 AMATEUR TACKLE MAKING, ETC. 



no matter what the dressing may consist of. In 

 some receipts paste and starch is used wherewith 

 to charge the line before waterproofing, with the 

 ostentatious purpose of preventing the protective 

 dressing penetrating to the centre. The object in 

 view is to keep the preparation upon the surface to 

 form a body smooth and sleek to the eye, to save 

 the necessity of more dressings needed to combine 

 a pleasing appearance with durability. As the 

 originators of the system of waterproofing and 

 plaiting silk lines, it is purely with the best of motives 

 that we point out existing sources of discredit, when 

 wide-spread and growing in extent, as is most 

 certainly the case with the points alluded to. As 

 a renovating dressing for old lines the following 

 admixture is good : Take of fly-makers' wax, sugar 

 of lead, and solid paraffin, one-third each, and dissolve 

 by heat, then pour into a shallow vessel, and cut 

 into cakes convenient for use. This preparation is 

 also most useful as a stiffening dressing for limp 

 spinning or trolling lines. A rub down will render 

 an awkwardly kinking and curling line comparatively 

 pleasant to use. 



FEATHER STAINING. To attempt to enumerate 

 the whole range of the shades of colour would 

 require far more space than could be wisely 

 accorded in a general work of the present character ; 

 therefore, we shall merely append a hint or two 

 applicable to feather staining generally, to be 

 followed by a few natural dyes, useful more 

 particularly to the trout fisher. Gay colours, and 



