62 CARE OF TOOLS. 



Catching the devil-fish is a favorite amusement of 

 the South Carolinians. These monsters frequent the 

 sounds and inlets thereabout in schools, and are killed 

 in various ways by harpooning, shooting, &c. The 

 sizes of the fish thus taken are from twenty to thirty 

 feet long. After being struck with a harpoon, the 

 devil-fish will sometimes run many miles, towing a 

 boat full of men after him. The sport of taking 

 them is very exciting. 



Take Care of Your Tools. 



The American Angler's Guide gives the following 

 precautions relative to the care of rods and lines : 

 When the fishing season is over, your rod should not 

 be thrown carelessly by, but be cleaned, nicely oiled, 

 and put away in a cool place, in readiness for the 

 next campaign. The best of wood that a rod can be 

 composed of, even though it be kiln-dried, if exposed 

 a length of time in a dry atmosphere will shrink 

 some, causing the ferules and guides to become loose. 

 A moist atmosphere is preferable to a dry one. 

 When rods that have not the ends covered where the 

 joints are put together, become by a day's service 

 swelled and dificult to separate, hold the ferule over 

 a candle or lighted paper until it becomes sufficiently 

 hot to dry out the moisture, and the parts can be 

 easily separated. To prevent this annoyance, occa- 

 sionally oil the wooden part that is let into the socket. 



LINES. Many adepts in the art are careless and 

 neglectful of their lines, often leaving them (when 



