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' retainer,' from stump or weed. The novelty in the Cumberland 

 Ring is that, when this process fails, the major part, at any rate, of 

 the line or trace may be rescued, commonly with the loss of hooks 

 only, by ' cutting away below.' Experimentalists will, however, 

 no doubt see the point of the advice given by the patentees to use 

 caution in passing the ring, with knife blade set, down the rod 

 and line. The ring is named after Mr. Cumberland, the inventor. 

 In the illustration, A is the ring, B the spring that acts on the 

 knife, C the knife when ' set ' or open, and D the same when 

 closed. 



THE CUMBERLAND CLEARING RING. 



Nor must I ' forget to recollect ' a clearing apparatus, the 

 ingenious invention of the Rev. Eardley C. Holt, and especially 

 applicable to Fly-fishing ; as, in addition to a prong or fork for 

 detaching the fly from super or sub-aqueous obstacles, it is fitted 

 with a strong, sharp blade which operates on the bough or twig 

 (always just beyond our reach ! ) in which we are ' hung up.' In the 

 diagram half the actual size the cutter is shown in its position 

 when * set.' The whole thing screws into the top of the net 

 handle or gaff-handle. The manufacturers are Messrs. Farlow. 



