PREPARING AND USING TACKLE. 85 



have got amongst, or to recover any part of the tackle 

 so entangled or held. 



The clearing- ring is made of lead or brass, and is 

 fastened to a small cord several yards in length. Its 

 use is to free the hook, should it get fast to a weed or 

 any other object. To effect this, the ring is passed 

 over the rod, and down the line to the hook, holding 

 the rod point downwards, in the right hand, and the 

 clearing-line in the left, this being pulled as may be 

 necessary to free the hook. The line, and sometimes a 

 joint of the rod, is thus saved. 



The disgorger is used to disengage the hook when it 

 has been swallowed by a fish, and which you would 

 otherwise break. When the fish is but a small one, 

 the line may be held tight with one hand, while the 

 forked end of the disgorger is thrust down upon the 

 hook with the other, which w r ill render it easy to draw 

 it out. When the fish is a heavy one, fix a small piece 

 of stick across from the upper to the lower jaw, to 

 keep its mouth open, before using the disgorger. 



Plumbing the depth is done by attaching the plummet 

 to the end of your line if a folding plummet, by un- 

 folding about two inches of it, and after passing; the 

 hook over its side, folding the plummet up again, or 

 if a ring-plummet, by passing the hook through the 

 ring, and then fixing it in the cork at the bottom. 

 Having thus fixed your plummet on your hook, take the 

 necessary pains to ascertain the real depth of the water, 

 and adjust your float according to its depth, until the 

 plumb-lead touches the bottom, and the top of the float is 

 an inch above the water, in the middle of the swim. Be 

 sure to press the caps tight on the float, or it will slip 

 down the line when you strike. To make it quite secure, 



