Ob TROUT FISHING 



of six or eight links, and three flies may be put 

 on at intervals of two links apart, so that we shall 

 have three or perhaps four links between the fly 

 nearest the line, or as it is commonly called, the 

 bob fly. But this should depend on the wind, 

 for a long collar in a high wind is very incon- 

 venient ; and remember, it is a most simple thing 

 to shorten a collar, by taking off the links nearest 

 the line.' We should always soak the gut pre- 

 viously to attempting to tie the links together, so 

 as to make a collar; and as every one knows, the 

 largest and stoutest links should be nearest the 

 end which is attached to the line; it should, indeed, 

 taper off to a finer end from the line ; this makes 

 the collar pitch lighter in fine fishing, and in case 

 of a hitch, and the necessity of a sacrifice of a 

 portion of the collar by a hard pull, we are more 

 likely to lose only the extreme end, than when 

 the whole collar is of equal strength throughout : 

 the only knot I am aware of which will never 

 slip, is made by taking a link of gut, for example, 

 in each hand, and placing the ends on one another 

 a length of one inch and a half or two inches ; 

 then proceed as though you were going to make 

 a single knot, but before tightening, pass again 

 the one link and one end through the loop, so 

 making a double knot; now draw gently, and see 

 that the knot runs evenly and regularly, and pull 

 away as hard as you can till it be quite tight, and 

 cut oft' both ends close to the knot. I have never 

 known this knot slip, and it is of great importance 

 to have such a knot in fishing small streams, where 



