94 SCIENCE OF FISHING. 



Small, oblong, aluminum boxes may be had to carry 

 leaders and snelled flies in for moistening. These have felt 

 pads which are made wet and by placing the leaders and 

 fly snells under them they are softened and strengthened, 

 which should always be done before they are used. But 

 they should not be left between these damp pads after the 

 day's fishing. 



Eyed flies are carried in metal boxes or cases. These 

 have either got clips to hold each fly separately or strips 

 of cork in which the points of the hooks are held. 



In case the fly book has no pads for moistening the 

 leaders the angler should have a leader box for this pur- 

 pose. These are flat, round boxes, about four inches in 

 diameter, with hinged cover, and are fitted with felt pads 

 for moistening. The boxes are made of aluminum, copper, 

 or steel. 



Two other articles that I want to mention before clos- 

 ing this chapter are the hook disgorger and the line releaser. 

 The former is most useful in fishing for bottom feeding fish, 

 which swallow the hook. It is an instrument so shaped that 

 it fits into the curve of the hook and by its use a swallowed 

 hook may be removed without difficulty, and without the 

 usual surgical operation, which is not pleasant for a tender- 

 hearted angler. The hook releaser is useful when fishing 

 along wooded streams, and especially for fly casting. Its 

 purpose is to release a hook that gets entangled on a branch 

 that is out of reach of the hand. It is simply a hook- 

 shaped knife with a cord attached, and to use it, you fix it 

 on the tip of the rod and hook it over the branch, then re- 

 move the rod and pull the cord, cutting the branch to 

 which the hook clings. 



