PRACTICAL LESSONS IN THE GENTLE CRAFT. 465 



been unwound during the day. When the line is thoroughly 

 dry it may be advantageously dressed with the following 

 preparation as good and simple as can be used, keeping 

 it thoroughly supple, and aiding it in water-resisting power 

 Take a bit of the best bees-wax that can be got, say of 

 the size of a walnut, and a piece of the hard fat from the 

 exterior of the sheep's kidneys, of about the same size, and 

 melt them up together, giving the mixture frequent stirs 

 with a stick, so as to assimilate the two substances 

 thoroughly. When it is cold and hard, give the line a rub 

 or two with this preparation every time it is used, and it will 

 be found an excellent preserver of the most delicate lines. 

 Leger bottoms should be selected from round, stout gut. 

 Finer, of course, should be in the tackle book for use if the 

 water is very bright, and each should be a yard in length. 

 I have found nothing so good in the shape of colour as gut 

 dyed of a light sorrel hue. I cannot help thinking that 

 gut of this colour is less likely to be distinguished by the 

 watchful, wary eye of a shy feeding fish, when lying on a 

 sandy, gravelly bottom, than the blue gut, although I am 

 aware that some of our best barbel-fishers pin their faith 

 to the latter colour, and allow nothing to shake their 

 allegiance. For my part, and having killed some barbel in 

 my time, and at all seasons, I have found the sorrel gut 

 giving better results than anything else. The proof of 

 the pudding, therefore, being in the eating, I have only 

 to add that white gut is an utter abomination. In "tit- 

 ting up the leger bottom, I use a length of the very finest 

 stained, gimp, of a yard in length, with a small bored 

 shot fixed firmly upon it at the lower end, where the 

 gut joins this gimp being for the bullet to work upon, as* 

 I have found, over and over again, that the chafing of the 

 bullet upon the fine silk line has caused a large amount 

 VOL. III. H. 2 H 



