MAKING, REPAIRING AND CARING FOR TACKLE. 217 



proof, but it needs drying just the same, and it is not good 

 for the reel either to put it away with a wet line on it. Too 

 much oil in the reel may also injure the line. 



Don't forget to wash out your fish basket after you get 

 home from fishing, and hang it out to dry before it is put 

 away. If you don't wash the basket it will have a nasty 

 odor when you want to use it again. 



If a joint of your rod sticks too tight you can reduce the 

 size of the male ferrule by rubbing lightly with the finest 

 emery dust, or with pumice stone, but be very careful as 



More Leader Knots. 



emery dust cuts German silver rapidly. And be sure that the 

 ferrule is really too tight before you attempt this. Ordinarily 

 if they are oiled slightly now and then there will be no 

 trouble whatever. 



In bait fishing the line is usually the weakest part of 

 your tackle, but in fly fishing it is the leader in which the 

 weakness lies, therefore it should be of the finest quality. 

 Many anglers prefer to make their own leaders. For this 

 purpose you can buy the silkworm gut in bunches of 100 

 strands, in any weight from the lighest to the heaviest. This 

 will cost from fifty cents to two dollars a bunch. 



