50 The Stinting or Point Line. 



is so much lighter. Some purchase a twisting machine 

 of one of the dealers ; but great care is required in using 

 this so as not to twist the lengths too hard. 



The Stinting or Point Line. 



IN the preparation of the stinting-line the greatest nicety 

 is required, and in the proper fitting up of it the really good 

 Fly-fisher is easily discovered. If the fish you are about to 

 angle for average more than a pound in weight, you must 

 use gut, otherwise single-hair is preferable. Bearing in 

 mind that your line when made up must taper, select 

 some of the finest, roundest, and most transparent lengths, 

 dyed either green, which is the best, or a pale bluish 

 colour, and tie them together, either with water-knots 

 or slide-knots, (see plate viii.) until you have about two 

 yards and a half or three yards for a very low clear 

 water. Shorter may do in coloured streams. You 

 should vary the length of it, moreover, according to the 

 magnitude of the river you are going to fish. Suppos- 

 ing you have not flies dressed ready to tie in, you should 

 leave a piece of gut or hair pointing to the thicker end, 

 on which to dress your drop-fly or flies. These should 

 be about twenty inches apart, and the droppers about 

 two inches in length. By the pieces of gut or hair being 

 thus left (plate viii.) the drop-flies will always stand well 

 off the stinting when the line is drawn against the water, 

 and they are more secure than by any other method. 



If you use only two, which are generally sufficient and 

 fish much lighter than three, the distance between them 

 may be from two to three feet, except in small brooks, 

 when they ought to be tied nearer to each other, The 

 point or end fly should be the largest at all times, and 

 the top drop-fly the smallest, or it will not cast well. 



Make the distance greater between your point-fly and 



