126 Fly-rods and Fly-tackle. 



other appliance than the angler's own two hands. Seize 

 the line with one hand and the leader about a foot be- 

 yond the line with the other. Then give two or three 

 smart jerks. If it stands, test the next foot or so in the 

 same manner, and so on down to and including the tail- 

 fly. Be careful to have the knots, which are the most 

 to be suspected parts, between the hands that is, each 

 hand should always grasp the leader between the knots. 

 A little common-sense must temper the severity of the 

 jerk, which, of course, must bear some relation to the 

 thickness of the gut. This test is best applied only 

 when the leader is wet and soft ; when dry, great care 

 must be taken not to bend the leader sharply where 

 grasped, or the dry gut may crack, when, of course, its 

 strength at that point is gone. 



To recapitulate : When made or bought, test the 

 leader with the spring balance and attach a tag giving 

 date and number of pounds applied to test it. After 

 that, when in use, test the leader at least once better 

 still, twice each day by the other method, and you need 

 have little fear that your leader will play you false. 



Consider this incident. A friend was about to make 

 his maiden cast in Maine waters, to which he had been 

 attracted by reports of the large trout which might be 

 there taken. Since the trip had been determined on, he 

 had dreamed of nothing but big trout, and his ardor was 

 at fever heat. Beside leaders fit to hold a shark, which 

 had been specially provided for that occasion, he had 

 half a dozen lighter ones, left from a previous excursion 

 to the Adirondacks. He was strongly recommended to 

 test, and, if strong enough, to use the latter. Not one of 

 them, on the first trial, bore a strain of half a pound with- 

 out rupture. Some broke three times, but not one failed 



