46 ANGLER'S EQUIPMENT. 



is done by drawing it though a machine, and paring 

 away a considerable portion of the gut. By this 

 means it may be made of any thinness, but it injures 

 the texture of the gut, and destroys its transparency, 

 and it is certainly better if it can be had sufficiently 

 fine without reducing. Gut prepared in this man- 

 ner is also very expensive ; costing from ten to six- 

 teen shillings a hank. 



All gut is more or less of a clear colour, which 

 glitters in the sun, and in order to divest it of this 

 it requires to be stained. The colour of the dye used 

 is of little consequence ; the object being to render 

 it of a dull colour, and this may be best accomplished 

 by dyeing it of a bluish-green. This dye may be 

 made by boiling a handful of logwood in a pint of 

 water, and adding copperas till it is of the required 

 colour. A piece of copperas about half the size of 

 a pea will be sufficient ; if too much is put in it will 

 make it quite blue. The gut should be put into the 

 liquid when cold, and allowed to remain till it is 

 of the required colour. 



Gut plays a very important part in the formation 

 of all trouting tackle : hooks of every description 

 should be dressed upon it ; and all casting-lines, 

 and, indeed, every part of the line that is intended 

 to touch the water, should be made of this material. 



After the ordinary winch line, there should be a 

 casting-line composed of seven or eight lengths of 

 triple gut twisted together. This can only be done 

 properly by a machine for the purpose, which may 



