ROD AND TACKLE z'] 



up into the line, and it is the action of the fat on this 

 size which causes the trouble. I am informed that the 

 late T. P. Hawksley was under the impression that the 

 use of animal grease with a pure oil dressing was 

 inadvisable. But the amateur line-dresser need be in 

 no way discouraged, as experiments have proved that 

 the preparation sold as ' Mucilin ' has no ill-effect on 

 lines dressed as above described, and possesses floating 

 powers in no way inferior to those of deer's fat." 



"Martin E. Mosely." 



I cannot agree with Mr. Mosely in reference to the 

 use of deer fat for greasing the reel-line. For more 

 than thirty years I have used deer fat or mutton fat 

 for the purpose, and with the exception of the two 

 lines he kindly dressed for me I have never found that 

 it affected the silk or the dressing unfavourably. 



In order to give the professional in juxtaposition to 

 the amateur view of this question I append here Mr. 

 J. J. Hardy's remarks on the subject. 



"THE MAKING OF WATERPROOF REEL- 

 LINES FOR DRY-FLY FISHING" 



" You ask me to say a word about the manner of 

 dressing high-class lines, such as the ' Corona,' etc. 

 Really, there is not very much to tell about them. 

 The silk used is of course the very best China silk 

 that can be purchased. This is boiled off, that is to 

 say, the gum is extracted from the silk. Naturally, 

 this makes it softer and more pliable, but in the 

 process of boiling off fully 25 per cent in weight is 



