SILK-WORM GUT. 277 



single, heavy gut, though they may be made double if the 

 gut is very light or fine. 



The hooks should be neatly, carefully, and securely tied 

 on with waxed silk, and varnished ; and a strong and firm 

 loop must be formed on the other end of the snell, for at- 

 taching to the reel line. The ends of the gut should be 

 softened by soaking in warm water before tying on the 

 hook and forming the loop. 



Gut snells, or loops, are always used for artificial flies;, 

 when snells are used, they should be from three to six 

 inches in length, and should always be formed of single 

 gut, with, or without loops in the ends, according to the 

 style of leader used, whether with loops for the attachment 

 of the fly-snells, or not. 



Messrs. A. B. Shipley & Son, of Philadelphia, manufac- 

 ture a patent, self-hooking, elastic snell, formed by tying 

 a short piece of silk rubber cord across a bight of the gut- 

 snell, giving it a spring or play of two inches or more. 

 Messrs. Shipley say that it has proved very successful, and 

 describe its modus operandi as follows : 



"The fish, on biting and attempting to let go the bait, 

 is at once caught; as when the tension of its biting or 

 pulling at the bait ceases, the snood flies, or springs imme- 

 diately, and fastens the hook, itself, thus saving the setting 

 of the wrist, or loosing the fish by inattention." 



In fishing for Black Bass in waters where Pickerel or 

 Pike-Perch abound, it becomes necessary to substitute 

 gimp, for the gut of the snell, as the sharp, long, and nu- 

 merous teeth of these species would make short work of 

 the delicate gut, by fraying it or cutting it in two, and 

 thus subject the angler to the great annoyance and aggra- 

 tion of often loosing both hook and fish. 



