"The Angler's Equipment" 165 



each individual hook will slip over the split- 

 cane (or willow) support, exactly half-way 

 between each spot where the split-cane 

 support has been tacked on, by the. 

 basket-maker. It takes very little time to 

 do, it must not be done in a slovenly manner.' 

 I have just said that I prefer French wicker 

 baskets, since on these I can easily have 

 sewn, by any saddler (or cobbler, for the 

 matter of that,) the two simple brass rings, 

 in which I sling my landing-net ; and from 

 one of which, I always land my trout, when 

 I am wading, in the middle of a stream, or 

 pool. 



The reasons which prompted me to line 

 my creel with an indiarubber bag in this 

 way, were two : and the second is, 

 that on any long angling holiday, the pres- 

 sure of the large quantities of trout taken, 

 day after day, forces the slime of the fish 

 into the interstices of the wicker-work ; 

 where no amount of washing can effect its 

 complete dislodgment. 



In hot weather, the slime soon decom- 

 poses ; and I have before now, entered a 

 railway carriage (when off for a day's fish- 

 ing) to find that my creel, attracted atten- 

 tion. Even the guard's van must have 

 frequently become decidedly mal-odorous, 



