42 ANGLER'S EQUIPMENT. 



rivers and lochs three times that quantity will be 

 necessary. 



After the ordinary winch-line, it is usual to have 

 a casting-line of horse-hair loosely twisted, or triple 

 gut. Some anglers prefer the hair because they 

 think it lighter, which, however, is a mistake, as gut 

 is stronger for its weight than any material the 

 angler can use, and is also heavier for its bulk, 

 which is a great assistance to casting. 



Gut. This article is made from the entrails of the 

 silk worm before it casts its silk, and is principally 

 manufactured in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Sicily. 

 Of all the materials used by the angler, it is the one 

 which it is most difficult to procure good, and which 

 it is most necessary should be so. For angling in 

 clear water, inhabited by cunning cautious trout, 

 fine thin gut is absolutely necessary for success, and 

 we think that anglers in Scotland are in general not 

 sufficiently aware of the importance of fine gut. An 

 immense quantity is imported annually, put up in 

 hanks of about a hundred threads each. So far as 

 we can judge, a good deal appears to be spoilt in the 

 manufacture. As it is made at present, nine hanks 

 out of ten are totally unfit for fine trouting purposes, 

 and even the very finest hanks seldom contain more 

 than twenty threads fit for dressing flies or bait- 

 hooks upon. The first angler who travels in Spain 

 should try to prevail upon the Spaniards to pay a 

 little more attention to the manufacture of this 

 article ; it would amply repay them for their trouble, 



