The Outfit — Leaders. • 63 



purpose. It is a positive disadvantage, and an abomina- 

 tion. 



In my former volume considerable space was given to 

 the question which, is the best color for leaders. The re- 

 sults of many experiments to determine this question, ex- 

 tending over some months, and the manner in which they 

 were conducted, were detailed. !N"othing has since oc- 

 curred to change the opinions there expressed. Referring 

 him who is curious to know the why and wherefore to 

 that volume, a recapitulation of a few of the results so 

 obtained may not be amiss. 



Take it at all times of the day and in all kinds of 

 water, a leader which has been dyed with "Arnold's 

 Writing Fluid " diluted with about half its bulk of water, 

 will average as the least conspicuous. The tint should 

 be light if the watsr to be fished is clear, but deeper 

 if it is brown. Gut can. thus be dyed without the aid 

 of heat, and, for that or some other reason, its pristine 

 strength does not seem to be impaired in the process. 

 As any shade from almost black to the faintest tinge of 

 greenish blue can be obtained by varying the propor- 

 tions of ink and water, and the length of the exposure, 

 it would seem unwise to resort to any dye that requires 

 heat — such as the customary logwood and copperas, for 

 example. 



When the sun is near the meridian of an unclouded 

 day nothing is less conspicuous than uncolored gut. But 

 in the morning and afternoon, and when the sky is over- 

 cast, the ink-dye has the advantage. If apprised that 

 the stream to be fished is clear, the depth of tint should 

 not exceed that of the blue sky on an unclouded day. 



