24 ANGLING. 



certain extent, but the gut so prepared is not only decidedly 

 inferior to that produced naturally, but is more expensive. 

 Some gut is wMte and glossy — tliis should be avoided for 

 bottom lines, as it is more easUy seen. To obviate this 

 disadvantage as far as possible the gut must be stained. 

 To do this properly the gut must be moistened, and then 

 steeped in ink, diluted with a little water — this will give 

 it a bluish tinge. Strong coffee lees, in which a bit of 

 alum has been dissolved, will give the much-admired brown 

 or peat colour. The water in which green walnuts have 

 been boiled or steeped will answer the same purpose. 

 These colours will answer every purpose. A variety of 

 other and miscellaneous recipes are given in the Ap- 

 pendix. 



The winch-line, for fly-fishing, and for ordinary use in 

 bottom-fishing, if the angler uses the reel, is composed 

 either entirely of horse-hair or of a mixture of horse-hair 

 and silk, or of silk alone ; the latter are becoming more 

 common, but the former is the most durable. Silk, either 

 alone or mixed with hair, is. so apt to rot, that there is a 

 great prejudice against its use, notwithstanding that it is 

 stronger and more easily thrown. Patent prepared silk is 

 now in general use for winch-lines, and is well spoken of. 

 I have used both the sUk and the sUk and hair mixed, 

 with success ; when I have tried the much-recommended 

 hair alone, I have found it thick, clumsy, and difiioult to 

 manage. 



The length of the reel-line must of course depend on the 

 size of the river to be fished. On narrow rivers twenty 

 yards will be ample ; on broad rivers, or lochs, eighty 

 yards will not be too much. Whichever length, or what- 

 ever length is used, the line must be so constructed as to 



