ON RAPID STREAMS. 173 



of it ; it is well to end the splicing with several 

 half-hitches, as the silk will fray in putting on the 

 worm, and at last a twist or two will wear through, 

 and so the hook will be suddenly loosened. Some 

 silk ready waxed should always be carried by 

 the fisherman in his pocket, and immediately 

 he perceives the silk of his hook is wearing 

 away he should remove the old silk and resplice 

 the hook to the gut ; this requires much attention, 

 or certainly the fisherman will some day be much 

 disappointed on hooking a good trout, to lose him 

 by the splicing giving way. This has occurred to 

 me several times, and I warn the reader to be on 

 the look out. I have led the reader to suppose 

 that he is to use gut on which to splice his hook; 

 I, however, do not recommend gut to be used, but 

 horsehair, which should be black, very stout and 

 strong, smooth and long, round and shining. A 

 couple of links to terminate the collar, the upper 

 of course attached to gut, the lower having the 

 hook on it. More horsehair may be used, or an 

 entire collar of it employed, but with two links 

 only, I think the advantages of the hair are suffi- 

 ciently attained, while the strength of the gut is 

 not wholly dispensed with. The advantages of 

 horsehair over gut in worm-fishing are, its stiff- 

 ness, whereby though it has been in water for 

 hours it does not coil or twist up as gut, but 

 always tends to keep, with determined resistance 

 to weight, a straight line; this is of great impor- 

 tance, and much assists the fisherman in working 

 his worm ; and again, its texture does not fray 



