The Landing-net. 77 



taken off, to dry the perspiration that sets on the inside. 

 But if the Angler is not far from the water, let him have 

 leather boots by all means. A good pair, well taken 

 care of and properly greased, will last almost a lifetime. 

 See receipt for waterproofing them, given hereafter. 



The Landing-net. 



THIS is one of the most essential instruments requisite 

 for a Fly-fisher, especially if he is wading and uses very 

 fine tackle. 



This article is best procured at the dealer's ; but the 

 Angler must beware of having a cabbage-net put into 

 his hands instead of a real Angler's Landing-net. 



You can fit up one for yourself in this way : Make 

 a shaft of sufficient stoutness, about seven feet long, of 

 good straight-grained fir, as being the lightest, and see 

 that there are no knots in it. This ought to be stout 

 enough to serve you for a staff by which you may steady 

 yourself among the gravel and stones while wading, &c. 

 as well as in landing your fish. Fix an iron ferrule on 

 the butt end and drive a hook into it, which is used for 

 disentangling your line from anything to which it may 

 get fastened. At the top fix a ferrule also, but one with 

 a female screw in the end into which a male screw fits, 

 which is welded on to a flat piece of iron the width of 

 the net bow, and to which the latter must be securely 

 wrapped with waxed thread. The bow for the net may 

 be made either of a round piece of cane about as thick as 

 a man's little finger, which makes a good, light, and tough 

 one, a briar of the same thickness, or perhaps thicker, 

 or a slip of ash such as coopers use for sieve rims. 



Bend this, either into a circular or oval form, as in 

 Plate vui, according to fancy; if circular, it ought to 

 be fourteen inches in diameter; and the same length 



