CASTING LINES. 23 



more vitality, elasticity, and quickness. In the selection of 

 one of these every foot should be carefully examined and 

 tested, for a careless slop-shop maker will frequently work 

 in short and worthless hair, possibly in the centre, which 

 will destroy the whole fabric ; for if the line be once broken 

 it is useless, it matters not how much ingenuity and time 

 you spent over the splice. For a day or two it may pass 

 through the rings, but the friction will wear it rough, and 

 it will catch, sooner or later, not improbably when a large 

 fish is on, for then the strain is greatest. Can any thing 

 more disgusting be imagined than taking the last look at 

 eight or ten yards of your line, perhaps more, rapidly dis- 

 appearing in the eddying stream with your casting-line and 

 flies acting as advance guard ? The thought of such a catas- 

 trophe is enough to make a man's blood run cold. 



Casting-lines should also taper, and, provided the gut is 

 good, can scarcely have too fine a termination. Although 

 a great many disciples of the rod always purchase these 

 ready made, every fisherman should be able to knot one up 

 himself. The process is simple. Select your hairs coarse 

 ones for the top, fine ones for the bottom steep them for 

 some minutes in water as warm as the hand can convenient- 

 ly bear, then knot them together, increasing or diminishing 

 gradually in size according to the end you have commenced 

 at. Care must be taken that such a knot be used as there 

 is no slip to. The safest I know of is formed thus : take 

 the ends to be joined, and place them alongside one anoth- 

 er, then take one end and make a single hitch by doubling 

 it back and passing the end through the loop, which pull 

 tight. Do the same with the reverse end, when by pulling 

 on the line both will slip together, the strain having the 

 tendency to lock the knot. After cutting off the surplus 

 ends, take a few turns of very fine silk to whip them down, 

 and the smallest quantity of varnish will add much to the 



