CH. 1] TOP-RING—LINE. 7 
infallibly do sometimes. For that at the end of the 
rod I think there is nothing so good as a hollow- 
edged ring, of brass or German-silver, enclosed 
in strong brass wire, as shewn in Fig. 2:—the 
principal advantage of this plan is, 
that as the ring can be turned round 
in the wire, there is no fear of the 
line wearing a furrow in it, as will 
be found to be the case after a time, 
when it is a fixture. Some time ago 
I mentioned this kind of ring to a 
London fishing-tackle maker, when 
he said he thought he could get the 
thing nicely done in agate. Rather fancying the 
material, from the idea that the line would run 
pleasantly through it, I requested him to have 
one made for meas asample. He accordingly did 
so, when, on inquiring the price, which I ought 
to have done before, I found it was five shillings! 
Those of German-silver cost about sixpence a-piece. 
It is extremely difficult to get a really good 
spinning-line for Trout; yet at the same time 
nothing is more essential to the comfort and the 
success of the fisherman. The three things which 
constitute a good line are fineness, softness, and 
absence of any disposition to “kink.” 
