IRISH LOACH-TROLLING. 25 



should be avoided if possible. The single gut foot- 

 line is made up precisely in the same way, except 

 that here the double knot may be employed. "SVe 

 have then a foot-line, single or treble as the case may 

 be, the upper end attachable to the fishing-line by 

 the eye of the swivel there and a suitable knot of the 

 line, in making which caution is required. To the 

 other end of the foot-line is to be attached the single 

 link of gut carrying the hook and bait, which is next 

 to be described. This separate link should be in all 

 cases of the very best gut, and always single. To one 

 end of it was attached a single hook of lake-fly size, 

 or smaller, used for salmon-flies. It was also some- 

 times called a drake-hook, somewhat larger than those 

 used for common lake-flies. At the other end was 

 knotted a longish loop, by which it was readily united 

 to, or disunited from, the lower swiveL One small 

 but indispensable item was to be added to the finished 

 foot-line the weight. This was generally composed 

 of a swan-drop or tw r o, or a single buck-shot, cut 

 nearly in half, and squeezed fast on the upper third 

 of the length of the foot-line. The shops sold an 

 article made for the purpose, but it was apt to become 

 entangled in weeds and stones on a foul bottom. 

 The precise weight of the lead can of course be only 

 determined by actual experiment the quality of line, 

 hook, swivels, etc., used, influencing the amount of 

 weight required. It is of importance, however, that 



