CHAPTER VII 



LEADERS, GUT, AND EYED FLIES 



THE production of silkworm gut has not 

 kept pace with the demand, which has 

 increased enormously during the last 

 quarter century. 



The best silkworm gut comes from Spain, 

 the market being practically controlled by 

 British firms. The high price of gut has created 

 a demand for substitutes, but while there are 

 several of these, as a general thing they are un- 

 satisfactory. There is no doubt that a good 

 substitute will be produced in time, but in order 

 to be a success it must be less flabby and soft, 

 when wet, than the present substitutes. These 

 are very strong, but after a little soaking they 

 become stringy and soft, and are of little value 

 for fly casting. The one advantage they pos- 

 sess is that they are made without knots. A 

 tapered leader can be made of this stuff with 

 only two or three knots. 



As silkworm gut is drawn, the larger or sal- 

 63 



