104 CASTING OR WHEEL LINES. 



of the line wished, for salmon, trout, or both occa- 

 sionally, as I generally have used them.* Then 

 begin with three equal hairs of hand-twisted gut, 

 choosing the hairs finer as you come downwards 

 the four or five lengths, till, if for spring salmon 

 fishing, the last is small enough to be next the hook- 

 gut, to which it should be attached by a neat loop. 

 In clearer, summer weather, when single gut becomes 

 necessary, have three or four additional lengths of 

 good gut along with you, ready knotted and looped, 

 to link on in addition to the former, which can be 

 added or removed agreeably with circumstance or 

 fancy. Let all the knots be well tied, both of hair 

 and gut, and the ends neatly lapped down with 

 waxed thread, so that you can roll all up through 

 your rings without rag or hinderance ; and when 

 done with fishing, unlink the hook, and roll in all 

 at once. 



Wlieel lines last best that are made entirely of 



* We venture to state that very few anglers indeed would 

 use the same wheel line for salmon and trout fishing, because 

 to most anglers it would prove either too light for salmon or too 

 heavy for trout. We do not know of anything more fatal to fine 

 casting when trouting than a heavy bagging wheel line. It is as bad 

 as a too stiff rod. The late James Baillie, the fly fisher, was very par- 

 ticular in this respect ; and he could throw, with a rod cut from a 

 hazel bush, the longest and finest line we ever saw fall on the water. 

 The wheel line should be tapered as well as the hair and gut casting 

 lines. [EDR.] 



