223 Book or the Black Bass. 



yet it is to be presumed that their diseermnent is as acute 

 as that of a brook trout. 



As to leaders and snells in fly-fishing, I do not think it 

 makes much difference, practically, as to their color. The 

 greatest desideratum, it seems to me, is to have them as 

 fine as possible, consistent with the strength required, and 

 this is not much with a flexible rod, for the amount of 

 strain exerted by a fish on the rod and tackle is very much 

 less than is popularly supposed. Though any color may 

 answer, I prefer lines and leaders of natural tints as being 

 more in accordance with the eternal fitness of things. Al- 

 though staining may not weaken the gut, it certainly can 

 not add to ifs strength; it is best, therefore, I think, to 

 use leaders and snells of unstained gut. As it is almost 

 transparent, it is less likely to be seen than a stained 

 leader. I have used, with success, snells and leaders of the 

 finest silver suture wire, for trout and black bass, but, prac- 

 tically, they are not pliable enough, and are too heavy. 



On the whole, then, I think we shall have to be content 

 with our leaders and snells as we find them to-day, simply 

 selecting those that are the finest, roundest, and most per- 

 fect, remembering, meanwhile, that a sight of the angler 

 himself is more fatal to successful fishing than a display 

 of the coarsest leader, or of the most objectionable in color. 



Leaders are now made with loops for attaching the drop- 

 per flies, and is by far the most preferable way. An -excel- 

 lent mode of making the loop is as follows — and if the 

 reader will refer to Fig. 11, on page 228, and its explana,- 

 tion on page 229, the matter will be made much clearer. 

 In forming the usual knot for tying the, gut lengths to- 

 gether in malring a leader, the two ends are lapped about 

 two inches in forming that knot ; but to make the loop, lap 

 about four inches, and double one strand back on itself, so 



