TACKLE AXD FISHING GEAR. 41 



lapping down the ends on the outside, as is the manner of the 

 tackle-makers, draw the knots, a a, only to within about three- 

 sixteenths or one-eighth of an inch of each other (as shown in 

 the engraving, fig. 2) and lap between them with light waxed 



a a 



b 



FIG. 2. THE 'BUFFER KNOT' FOR SALMON GUT. 



silk, />, or, which is the plan I generally adopt myself, with rery 

 fine thoroughly soaked silkworm gut. This lapping relieves the 

 knot itself of half its duty, and on any sudden jerk, such as 

 striking, acts as a sort of ' buffer ' to receive and ' distribute,' 

 as it were, the strain. Tied in the old-fashioned way I find 

 that on applying a ' steady strain,' a salmon gut casting line 

 breaks almost invariably at the knot. Tied in the manner I 

 suggest it will break at any other point in preference, no matter 

 how great the strain may be. 



Major John P. Traherne, whose almost unequalled experi- 

 ence as a salmon fisher entitles his opinion to the utmost weight, 

 has lately written as follows, on the subject of knots for salmon 

 casting lines, to the pages of a sporting journal : 



Xot long ago I fondly imagined I had invented a plan for 

 uniting the links of a casting line without knots, and was on my 

 way to the 'Fishing Gazette ' office to unfold my secret. My 

 friend Mr. Cholmondeley-Pennell happened to accompany me on 

 a different business, and on my letting him know what mine was 

 turned round and said, ' My dear fellow, I am very sorry for you, 

 but I brought that out years ago in the " Modern Practical Angler,"' 

 and as we were passing Farlow's shop at the time he took me in 

 and soon convinced me that he was right, and that his principle 

 and mine are the same, although differently carried out. Therefore, 

 although I can lay no claim to be the inventor of the ' buffer knot,' 

 I can honestly say that I had never seen or heard of it before. 



