FISHING-LINES 17 



FISHING-LINES 



Fishing-lines are made of various materials, and of 

 various degrees of strength and length, depending 

 entirely upon the kind of angling for which they are 

 required. 



For salmon and trout fishing, whatever length or 

 strength we may fix upon, nothing is now more used 

 than plaited oiled silk. A pure horse-hair line was once 

 preferred, but it is neither so strong, so light, and so 

 easily thrown as one of oiled plaited silk. It requires, 

 however, a great deal of attention and careful drying to 

 prevent its rotting. Silk alone is apt to become flabby, 

 and the once favourite horse-hair is discarded in con- 

 sequence of its liability to " kink,'' though it is elastic 

 and durable. 



If the angler be fishing on lakes, or in large rivers, 

 for salmon, he will require from eighty to one hundred 

 yards of line ; but if on a moderate-sized stream, from 

 forty to fifty will be quite sufficient. We have seen, 

 however, two hundred yards used in boat-fishing on a 

 lake, and this quantity was not too much. 



The casting-line, which should be attached to the end 

 of the winch-line by the " fisherman's " or " single-slip " 

 knot, is formed of seven or eight lengths of triple 

 twisted gut. To this there should be joined four or 

 five lengths of picked gut, tapered in thickness to where 

 the bait or fly-cast is attached. In practice it will be 

 found better to attach the flies by a knot rather than a 

 loop. 



Lines for trolling are now made principally of oUed 

 silk, plaited so as to form a round thread of great 

 strength. It is made both six and eight plait. We 

 prefer these lines to any other, but tiiere are yet some 

 old trollers who believe in hair-lines for trolling. 



The line called a paternoster, used for perch-fishing, 

 and occasionally for catching gudgeons for bait, is made 

 usually of gimp, on which are fastened at certain 

 distances three or more hooks, with two or three inches 

 of gimp to each. The bottom of the line is weighted by 



