Fintsuing ur tne Trovurime Ria. 175 
numerous theories about fly-books, there can be but few about 
bait-boxes. I will therefore state, beware of those three- 
story complications. Procure a box as simple as possible in 
construction, made to slide on and be supported by the waist- 
belt which holds up the wading water-proofs, or the common 
leather waist-belt. It should consist of two compartments, 
one for worm and the other for minnow, or for grub-worms 
and grasshoppers. 
Carryrine Casts or Fires.—Instead of winding a easting- 
line round the hat, a double band is made to fit the hat and 
buckle round over the hat-band, and the casting-line or snell- 
ed flies are attached to it and folded in, so as not to expose 
them, or render them lable to get loose and dangle about, to 
the danger of the face and eyes. The Calcutta or Gibraltar 
sporting-hat, illustrated on the plate with the salmon-rod, is 
excellently adapted for carrying snelled flies or casts. A 
“snelled fly” is a length of silk-worm gut, with a fly at one 
end and a loop at the other. 
STRAIGHTENING CastinG-LINES.—Hitch the line at one end 
either by the hook or a loop, and rub the line with brown 
paper between your thumb and finger, and it will take the 
turns out of it; or, rub it between India-rubber; but both 
these methods tend to chafe the gut more or less, and neither 
should be resorted to if you can have time to soak the gut in 
tepid water half an hour. Tam in the habit of soaking my 
easting-line over night in cold water if I intend to fish early 
the next morning; and Iam aceustomed also to selecting the 
flies which I think may be necessary, and on the rim ofa glass 
nearly filled with water [hang the hooks, letting the gut fall 
in the glass and soak allnight. Ido not approve of straight- 
ening gut by friction when soaking it is possible. 
Thus, with a finely-balanced and finished fly-rod, a click 
reel attached to the rod below the hand, a silk and hair 
braided line, protected from the effect of water by being 
oiled, varnished, or saturated with some oleaginous substance, 
braided like a whip-lash to taper each way from the middle, 
