2o8 PIKE AND OTHER COARSE FISH. 



where an extra strong heavy line is required, and Nottingham 

 fishing, the disciples of which pride themselves on a wonder- 

 fully light line of undressed silk, the best sort of running-line 

 that I am acquainted with for every purpose is one of the 

 finest possible dressed silk of the thickness of ordinary stout 

 sewing thread, which is both perfect in manipulation and of 

 great strength. I have one of these lines before me now that 

 has gone through a fair amount of work during the past season, 

 both with float, fly, and worm-fishing for trout, for which latter 

 purpose it is especially suitable, and I find that one yard of the 

 end which has had all the wear is still capable of lifting a dead 

 weight of 6 lbs. The price is 2s. 6d. for 20 yards, or 12^. 6d. 

 for 100 yards, it is manufactured and sold by Watson and Sons, 

 308 High Holborn, London, under the designation of ' Braided 

 Waterproof Lines, No. H.' G, the next size larger, is 35. per 

 score yards, and so on down to A, which is a strong salmon 

 line. Either E or D would be suited to ledgering for barbel or 

 other heavy work. With this line also, and a rod with stiff' rings 

 I can easily throw a light tackle and float 15 or 20 yards, and 

 very likely more, but it will not, of course, ' float ' so well as 

 undressed line. I have never yet tried how far I could throw it, 

 but I have repeatedly thrown it the distance in question. This 

 facihty of casting is a very important part of a float-fisher's 

 equipment, as it enables him to command any part of a 

 pond or river which it is practically likely he may require to 

 reach. 



The Nottingham line used with, and especially suitable to 

 the Nottingham tackle, is equally suitable to almost every kind 

 of float fishing (except jack fishing). It is made of pure un- 

 dressed silk and combines great strength with the utmost light- 

 ness and fineness, being about, in fact, the thickness of the 

 dressed line above described. Extreme lightness is desirable 

 to give it flotation, where, as in the Nottingham style, long 

 casts are made or the float travels a long way down stream, and 

 there is sometimes as much as thirty or forty yards of line in 

 the water at the same time. It must also be free from kinking 



