58 The American Salmon-fisherman. 



select three or four strands as nearly as possible of aver- 

 age quality, soften them well in tepid water, tie a loop in 

 each end, run a lead-pencil through one loop, hook a 

 spring-balance into the other, and ascertain the breaking 

 strain. It ought to be ten pounds or over, unless the 

 break occurs at one of the knots. We may then soak 

 that strand again and repeat the test. 



I am firmly of the opinion, and consequently strongly 

 advise, that this form of test should be applied to every 

 leader to be used in salmon-fishing. It is the only 

 method by which the strength of a leader can be deter- 

 mined. The most expert may be deceived as to the 

 strength of gut or granting that the gut is unexception- 

 able, still there may be one defective strand among the 

 many of which the leader is composed, or one defective 

 knot or place in some strand otherwise excellent. I insist 

 that my single-gut salmon-leaders shall safely endure a 

 strain of eight pounds applied with the spring-balance, 

 and find no difficulty in procuring gut at a reasonable 

 price that will produce such leaders. 



I am quite aware that some expert anglers think that a 

 test so severe impairs the ultimate strength of the gut, 

 and that it is therefore injudicious. This is either so, or 

 it is not so. It is a matter to be determined not by 

 theory but by experiment, and it is capable of being so 

 determined. Now during the last ten years I have made 

 hundreds of leaders for myself and friends, every one of 

 which has been so tested. The strain imposed has of 

 course been proportioned to the thickness of the gut and 

 the use for which the leader was designed, but I do not 

 think that any material variance in its proportionate se- 

 verity has been made. It is my practice never to use a 



