REEL-LINES. 23 



durable, although waterproof silk makes also a very 

 good one. Those made entirely of hair, require to be 

 too thick and clumsy in dimensions in order to be of 

 the requisite strength. Every reel-line ought to be so 

 gradually tapered for twelve feet from the end, that its 

 termination may not be thicker or heavier than strong 

 salmon-gut, a link of which may be securely whipped to 

 it, having another finer length knotted to it, with a loop 

 at the end to which the fly-line is to be attached ; thus 

 dispensing altogether with those abominations called 

 casting-lines, usually interposed between the reel-line 

 and the gut-cast. While as there is neither knot nor 

 loop interposed between the top of the fly-line and the 

 reel, the whole may be wound in, even to the flies them- 

 selves if required, without obstruction an advantage 

 of no small importance, when the angler is obliged to 

 land a large fish without the assistance of an attendant ; 

 as he can thus reel his line so close up as to keep it 

 strict while he stoops to lay hold of his victim, and 

 avoid the danger of the hook being shaken from its hold 

 if the fish commences to flounder, which will be very 

 apt to occur if the line is for a moment slackened. 

 I have seen several fine fish lost in this manner after 

 being brought to terra firma, while the captor " selling 

 his chickens before they were hatched," was com- 

 placently revolving in his mind what a delicious fry 

 he would have, and little thinking how soon and for- 

 cibly he would illustrate, the old adage, that " there is 

 many a slip between the cup and the lip." A momentary 

 inadvertence permits the line which probably, in conse- 



