294 THE SALMON FLY. 



Now, weight, brought about by the quality of compactness, is very 

 desirable, but any undue increase of bulk is most detestable. Burdened 

 by loose, over-gorged plaits, culminating in a distended corporation, the 

 line offers too much resistance to the air, splashes too much, is lifeless and 

 ungovernable in the water, necessitates an extra large winch or a dangerous 

 shortening of back-line, and above all requires a stout, unwieldly rod of a 

 kind I would call " an unmitigated enormity," which, for taxing the 

 powers of endurance, robbing anticipation, and dispelling keenness, it 

 would indeed be hard to surpass. 



On the other hand, a line too light in weight, and too small in 

 circumference, is equally bad and sometimes worse. 'In contrary winds, 

 for instance, it is almost useless, whilst in long casting, the rod, suited 

 in every way to fulfil its proper functions', is completely spoilt by the extra 

 force required. 



In proceeding now to deal with the qualities enumerated above, it 

 should be clearly understood that the most essential characteristic in a 

 line is compactness. In plain language, this means the maximum of 

 weight combined with the minimum of bulk, the significance of 

 which only those well acquainted with high-class Salmon-fishing can 

 fully appreciate. Compactness ensures a fairly smooth surface, else the 

 ordinary way of riverside dressing is ineffective from the very first. 

 With this quality as a substratum the line should never become too 

 stiff or too supple. A hard stiff line neither casts well, fishes well, nor 

 wears well. If made stiff by improper dressing when new, the line soon 

 " knuckles," and no sooner are the early defects made good than the com- 

 plaint breaks out in I know not how many places. They shall, however, 

 receive attention presently. 



Suppleness may be carried to an extreme. In some waters in those, 

 for instance, that break and chop about in all directions it is impossible 

 to have any contol over the fly with a line as supple, say, as one that has 

 not been waterproofed. A loosely plaited line very soon becomes too 

 supple for second or even third rate fishing, dress it how you will. A 

 tightly plaited line, unless thoroughly saturated at first with the right 

 material, comes to grief as quickly by knuckling, whilst both the one and 

 the other are apt to get water-logged and then go permanently to the bad. 



