84 PREPARING AND USING TACKLE. 



To sink the hook, and make the float stand upright, 

 the line must be shotted within three or four inches of 

 the bottom loop, to which the hair or gut carrying the 

 hook is fastened. The shot may be purchased ready 

 split; or, which is better, they may be split by a shot- 

 cutter, which is sold by most of the tackle-makers. A 

 number of small shot, placed pretty close together, will 

 be found preferable to a smaller number of heavy ones. 

 To fasten them on the line, use a pair of pliers, in pre- 

 ference to the teeth, which are liable to injure the line. 



To strengthen a quill float, and prevent the line from 

 slipping, give the line two or three twists round it, 

 after passing it through the bottom cap, before fixing 

 the top cap to it. 



To fasten the line to the rod, pass the loop of it 

 through the ring at the end of the top joint, carry it 

 over the ferrule end, and then draw it up to the top again. 

 The loop will thus be fastened to the ring, from which 

 it will hang. If you keep a piece of fine silk line, five 

 or six inches in length, attached to the top of the rod 

 which is found an excellent plan then fasten your 

 hair* or gut line to that by a draw loop-knot. If you 

 have a winch on your rod, for heavy or strong fish, pass 

 the running line which it carries, through each ring up 

 the rod, to the length of eight or ten inches through 

 the top ring; and to that end attach your hair or gut 

 line by a draw loop- knot. 



I may as well describe here the mode of using the 

 plummet, drag-hook, clearing-line, disgorger, &c. 



The drag is a piece of iron, having three or four 

 stout hooks, without barbs, attached to it, and fastened 

 to a long packthread line. It is used to draw aside the 

 heavy weeds or other things that a hooked fish may 



