BOTTOM FISHING. 69 



strength, it ranks below the Spanis i and China gut. 

 Good round and sound gut should stand a strain of from 

 two and a half to five pounds, according to the thickness, 

 without parting. Before joinings are made, the ends 

 should be moistened between the lips, so as to admit of 

 its bedding down, and to avoid splittings; otherwise, dry 

 old gut will " spilch," and break at the knots when 

 forming. 



When gut is imported, it is coated with a thin, brittle, 

 yellow skin, which is easily removed. This is its raw or 

 unbleached state. We may here observe that often too 

 much doctoring is practised in baking, boiling, bleaching, 

 and unbarking the raw substance. A large class are pre- 

 judiced in favor of what they term a beautiful white tint. 

 This taste, unfortunately, the fish do not share; conse- 

 quently, are not so easily to be duped through its 

 medium. 



In clear water the gut used should be either stained a 

 faint sky-blue, so as to offer no lighter or darker contrast 

 to its back-ground, or be left a transparent tint, undis- 

 tinguishable in the water. Some rivers are habitually 

 clear, others slightly this or that shade. The view of the 

 gut line should in each individual case tally. Our ances- 

 tors used sorrel, brown, and white, or even black hair; 

 but when used under similar circumstances with gut pre- 

 pared as above, the tender, hollow hair is found far be- 

 hind the age. We have, however, dealt already fully 

 with the relative virtues of gut and hair. 



Bottom reels are made of almost every conceivable va- 

 riety and substance. We are inclined to give preference 

 to the Nottingham* spring check. This check or 



* The Nottingham reel "is usually made of wood, and in two pieces, 

 the barrel of the reel upon which the line is wound turning upon a 

 spindle fixed in the center of the portion which forms the immovable 

 part of the reel. This is contrived so that the barrel will run with the 

 utmost freedom at the lightest touch." The above description is given 

 by Francis Francis, Esq., Angling Editor of "The London Field." 



