464 PRACTICAL LESSONS IN THE GENTLE CRAFT. 



that a plaited line has been selected, I would have 100 yards 

 of it at least on the reel for legering, and for this reason. 

 Careful as one may be, a fine line always rots and frets more 

 or less with hard work, and it is always advisable before com- 

 mencing a day's campaign against such an undoubted hard 

 puller as your barbel, to see that the line is in good condition. 

 If it is not, break it away in lengths of a yard at a time, 

 until it will stand the test of a strong, steady pull. Thus 100 

 yards will not be too much. Consistently with the requisite 

 strength that is required, the line cannot be too fine, for it 

 should be remembered, that the finer the line the less effect 

 the stream has upon it, and the less weight will be required 

 to keep it at the bottom. Thus it will be sufficiently 

 patent to every rodster that the smaller the bullet used, if 

 one can only make certain of its being upon the bottom, the 

 more readily will the bite of the fish be distinguished, and 

 the more likely is one to kill a large one with a light bullet 

 that can be held taut above him, than with a heavy one, 

 which must cause a certain amount of bend or "sag " in the 

 line when the fish is struck and pounding away for liberty. 

 While upon the subject of lines, and before dismissing it, I 

 may, perhaps, add a few words upon their preservation. 

 Nothing ruins a line, no matter how good it may be, so 

 much as allowing it to remain on the reel for any length 

 of time after use, and a capital adjunct to the angler's 

 equipment will be a light wooden winder, say a foot square, 

 that fits closely and neatly to the side of the basket On 

 this the line should be wound off the reel, but not in lengths 

 overlapping each other, directly the sport of the day is over, 

 and care should be taken that a few yards more than the 

 quantity that has actually been in use be unwound from the 

 reel and well dried, to provide for the great probability of 

 the wet having soaked down amongst the silk that has 



