j6 SALMON AND TROUT. 



and well-known author of a charming book on 'Fly Fishing and 

 Worm Fishing for Trout in the Clear Streams of Scotland.' 



The first step in the process is to impart to the gut a lightish 

 tint of the common 'red-water stain.' For this purpose take a 

 teacupful of black tea, and boil it with a quart of water for 

 twenty minutes : afterwards strain it, and boil down the liquor 

 till it comes to a pint : keeping the gut steeped in the mixture 

 until it has acquired the necessary tint [Mr. Stewart says ' put 

 the gut in whilst boiling and let it remain till cold']. This 

 process will sometimes take only half an hour or even less, and 

 sometimes several hours, according to the strength and stain- 

 ing power of the tea : when sufficiently stained, rinse the gut 

 well in cold water. When dry, take a handful of logwood chips 

 (obtainable at most druggists'), and boil them in a quart of water 

 till the latter is reduced to about a pint. Then take it off the 

 fire, and put into it a small piece of copperas (sulphate of 

 copper) about the size of a hazel nut, powdered, stir the mix- 

 ture, and when the copperas is dissolved, which it will be in a 

 few minutes, dip the gut into the mixture until it has got the 

 dirty greyish-green tinge described. Very often a few instants' 

 immersion will be sufficient, and in order to ascertain the exact 

 amount of the stain, as well as to avoid overstating, it is best 

 always to keep a basin of water close at hand to rinse the gut 

 in, the moment it is taken out of the dye. 



For the common ' red-water stain ' tea leaves used as above 

 described will answer every purpose ; or coffee that has been 

 previously charred in a frying pan and ground, will answer 

 instead of tea. 



To produce a slate stain mix boiling water and ink, and 

 soak the gut in it rinsing it thoroughly when it has attained 

 the desired colour. This, indeed, is a precaution that should 

 never be omitted in staining gut, which is otherwise apt to lose 

 its transparency. When too dark a stain has been given it 

 may readily be reduced in intensity by soaking the gut in clean 

 boiling water. Another ink stain that sounds as if it ought to 

 be good, is given on the authority of Mr. R. B. Marston : 



