FLY-FISHING. 67 



made with waxed silk, which you buy at the shops. 

 Cut out all those fastenings, and join the gut again 

 with a fisherman's knot, made on the following 

 principle : at the extremity of one of the lengths 

 affect to tie a knot, but proceed no further than to 

 make the little circle previously to tying it closely : 

 in this small round hole insert the end of another 

 length, and draw it a little way up the first length 

 and tie it on the same ; then tie down the first 

 knot where you left the little circle and draw the 

 two knots together; cut off the superfluous gut at 

 the end of each knot and the joining is complete, 

 much neater and vastly stronger than the wax 

 and silk fastening plan. Besides, if you will fish 

 with a bob-fly, you can insert him with his gut 

 about four inches long and with a little knot at 

 the end before you draw the two knots together, 

 as above directed, in the space left between the 

 knots, instead of the clumsy plan of putting the 

 bob-fly on with a sliding noose. 



When you have a rise, strike with a sudden but 

 gentle jerk, and never slacken your line afterwards 

 till you shall have landed your fish. Keep him 

 as near to the surface as you well can till you shall 

 have tired him out ; otherwise he may get into 

 the weeds, or by the sides of large stones, at the 

 bottom ; and moreover, he will have less power to 

 * 2 



