100 BEST'S A KT OF ANGLING. 



rod, because they say it is more light ; but I, in 

 mswer to that aver, that it is not half so strong 

 nd lasting, and that the ash, on account of its 

 itrength, may be turned in the lath, or planed 

 fiowh to be every jot as light as the deal, and 

 (hat the angler, when he has hooked a good fish, 

 lieed never fear its snapping short, as deal will, 

 because it is the nature of the wood to bend 

 almost double, and will always, if well seasoned, 

 return to its former strailness. Let your rod, 

 thus made, be ringed for the line to pass through, 

 with small brass rings, about a foot distant from 

 each other, and at the but end let there be a spike 

 made to screw in, which you will find very con- 

 venient ; and you may, if you like to alter the 

 colour of your joint (though it does not signify 

 so much in ash as in deal, whose whiteness 

 would scare the fish), first warm it before the 

 fire, and then dip a feather in aquafortis, put it 

 on the ash, and then chafe it in with your hand, 

 and it will make it a cinnamon, or rather a puce, 

 or flea colour. 



Your fly-line should be about thirty yard* 

 Jong, and wound on a small brass multiplying 

 winch, which is to be placed on the but of your 

 rod ; then you must run the line through the 

 rings before- mentioned, and you may always 

 command the length without the trouble of 

 changing the line, and shorten it when you come 

 to places encumbered with wood. The general 

 length that you should have off your reel must 

 be about four yards longer than your rod, nay, 

 sometimes the line must be twice the length of 

 the rod ; for to fishjine and/or o/Tis the standing 

 rule for trout fishing. But it will be a long time 

 before you are able to throw a dib-line with 

 nicety at the general length, yet us you cau 



