96 ANGLING FOE OUANANICHE 



the difficulty under such circumstances of recovering 

 the slack of the line. But with a rod heavy enough to 

 recover a long line quickly in a strong current — say 

 one of seven or eight ounces in weight — I believe more 

 sport can be had by the angler playing his own fisli 

 and keeping his line taut with the aid of the good old- 

 fashioned multiplying reel, than in his employment of 

 a lighter rod and the automatic care of his fish and 

 line. It is certain that more skill is required in the 

 saving of the fish when the angler has to do it all 

 himself without any automatic aid. 



The line should be waterproofed and not of unnec- 

 essary weight. Its length should be not less than 150 

 to 200 feet. I have never found any particular ad- 

 vantage in having a dyed casting-line for these waters, 

 but am well aware that there is quite a conflict of 

 opinion on this subject. 



Eobert Salter, who, in 1811, published The, Modern 

 Angler, has the following practical remarks : 



" I have heard many iugenious anglers centend for the prefer- 

 ence that stained silli-worm gut is entitled to for fly-fishing, which 

 is an opinion 1 cannot agree with, and shall take this opportunity 

 of explaining my reason for it : the color of gut, as imported, is 

 more difficult to be distinguished in clear water than any other that 

 has hitherto been substituted ; but as example is more persuasive 

 than precept, boil the outside shells, or leaves, of walnuts in alum 

 water ; when cold put into it a length of gut, .and it will, in a short 

 time, become brown. Boil a few chips of logwood in alum water, 

 and it will stain your gut blue ; then put a short link of each color • 

 with one that is unstained into a half-pint tumbler of clear water, 

 place It in the upper part of a window when the sun shines on it, 

 and gradually retire, keeping your eye fixed on the objects in the 

 glass until one of them disappears ; you will then be convinced 

 that it requires not the aid of philosophy to decide which color is 



