ADVICE FOR ANGLERS. 311 



Your feathers should, if possible, be fresh, with the pile un- 

 broken, your furs and mohair uncut by moths, and your 

 silk the strongest, yet the finest, that can be procured. Of 

 course, many of your principal feathers will require to be 

 purchased ; but if the fisherman is also a shooter, there are 

 few game birds that will not afford him choice materials ; 

 so that during autumn and winter, when his gun instead of 

 rod is his companion, he can daily make additions to his 

 treasures, which will serve him in pursuing the sister 

 amusement. 



Every thing which makes deception more alluring should 

 be resorted to by an angler ; for, let his experience be ever 

 so great, he will always find opportunities to regret his de- 

 ficiencies. Where all depends so much upon chance, it is 

 impossible to see the disadvantages under which you may 

 frequently labor, or the awkward positions in which you 

 may occasionally be placed, where it is absolutely neces- 

 sary for the fisherman to put on an unusual and severe 

 sti;ain to turn a hooked fish, so as to prevent his going over 

 some surging fall, or down or up stream, inaccessible to the 

 steps of the angler. Sometimes, of course, the loss of fish, 

 or even fish and tackle, can not be avoided ; but good, care- 

 ful work and the best materials will frequently obviate so 

 annoying an ordeal. However, having struck your fish, the 

 tackle and your own coolness are generally responsible for 

 the issue, and woe betide you if careless knot or indifferent 

 tying should have been made in constructing your leader 

 or fly. 



I would therefore advise all gentlemen to acquaint them- 

 selves thoroughly with the method of their construction, 

 for though they may not have time and inclination to fol- 

 low it as a pursuit, they may chance to be placed in posi- 

 tions where their pleasure and the success of their expedi- 

 tion may be entirely marred by want of this knowledge. 



