

88 ART OF ANGLING. 



more than a yard of the other ; lest, while play- 

 ing a fish with the bob, your tail fly may get 

 caught in a weed. More gut than is here pre- 

 scribed will be found an incumbrance when you 

 want to get a fish up tight ; insomuch that, of 

 the two, I would rather have a little less than 

 more of it. 



A small fly book may, of course, be taken ; 

 and I should recommend it of my plan, which 

 is of Russia leather, in order to repel the moth. 

 This no one will do better for you than Chevalier, 

 Bell-yard, Temple Bar. A common beaver hat 

 is the best thing to hook and keep flies on ; and, 

 if you have not two rods by the river side, al- 

 ways keep a gut length and flies ready to put 

 on, round your hat, in order to avoid the waste 

 of time and torment which you would have, if 

 you had much entangled your line. 



The beauty of fishing is to do the business 

 quick, (though not in a hurry,) because this 

 sport is every moment dependent on the wea- 

 ther. Walton says, "before using, soak what 

 lengths of gut you have in water for half-an- 

 hour." In the new school, I should rather say, 

 draw what lengths you want through Indian 

 rubber for half-a-quarter of a minute. Let a 

 gut length or two, (ready fitted up with flies,) 

 and also a few spare tail flies be thus prepared 

 to go on in an instant, and put round your hat. 



