Fishing Lines. 305 



CHAPTER XI. 



FISHING LINES. 



" I will lose no time, but give you a little direction how to make 

 and order your lines, and to color the hair of which you make 

 your lines, for that is very needful to be known of an angler." — 

 IzAAK Walton. 



Eeel Lines por Casting the Minnow. 



A BAIT line for casting a minnow should, in the first 



place, be composed of the very best material, which, in 



this case, is raw silk. It should be of very small caliber, 



the smallest that can be made consistent with strength, and 



Size G. = 

 F. = 



E. "^ 



raw silk fulfills this condition tetter than any other mate- 

 rial. It should be very hard, compact, and closely braided. 

 These conditions secure a line that renders freely and 

 easily, is quite elastic, and at the same time absorbs but 

 little water, and will not kink or snarl in casting. The line 

 should, moreover, be tinted some suitable color, to render 

 it as nearly invisible as possible, for it must be remembered 

 that we cannot use a gut leader in easting the minnow. 



The best line, then, we will say, is the braided, or plaited 

 raw silk line, of the smallest caliber, for ordinary fishing; 

 but where the bass average fully three pounds, the next 

 largest size may be used, though I would advise the smaller 



