244: GUN, KOD, AND SADDLE. 



After cutting off the surplus ends a few turns of 

 very fine silk to whip them down and the smallest 

 quantity of varnish, will add much to the appearance 

 of the line. There is no amusement that I know 

 of in which it is so requisite for the follower of it to 

 know how to make use of his hands and his ingenuity. 

 Bad luck, or whatever you choose to call it, may, be- 

 fore an hour's fishing be done, reduce you to the alter- 

 native of either ceasing work or manufacturing out of 

 broken fragments a new casting line. Very possi- 

 bly this is caused by the fish being more than usual- 

 ly on the feed. How disagreeable to be compelled 

 to halt ! better far to spend ten minutes with the 

 dry end of gut in your mouth, the more rapidly to 

 render the hairs fit for knotting, and to know how 

 to put them together afterward. 



The rings upon your rod should be large and not 

 too numerous, five are sufficient for the lower joints, 

 and about five more for the tip, supposing it to be 

 a rod thirteen feet in length, and in three pieces. In 

 America I lately saw rods ringed on both sides, so 

 that if after unusual hard work and constant use a 

 tendency to warp was evinced, you altered your reel 

 to the reverse side and thus counteracted it. How- 

 ever, the better plan, I should say, would be to use 



