CASTING LINES. 23 
more vitality, elasticity, and quickness. In the selection of 
one of these every foot should be carefully examined and 
tested, for a careless slop-shop maker will frequently work 
in short and worthless hair, possibly in the centre, which 
will destroy the whole fabric; for if the line be once broken 
it is useless, it matters not how much ingenuity and time 
you spent over the splice. For a day or two it may pass 
through the rings, but the friction will wear it rough, and 
it will catch, sooner or later, not improbably when a large 
fish is on, for then the strain is greatest. Can any thing 
more disgusting be imagined than taking the last look at 
eight or ten yards of your line, perhaps more, rapidly dis- 
appearing in the eddying stream with your casting-line and 
flies acting as advance guard? The thought of such a catas- 
trophe is enough to make a man’s blood run cold. 
Casting-lines should also taper, and, provided the gut is 
good, can scarcely have too fine a termination. Although 
a great many disciples of the rod always purchase these 
ready made, every fisherman should be able to knot one up 
himself. The process is simple. Select your hairs—coarse 
ones for the top, fine ones for the bottom—steep them for 
some minutes in water as warm as the hand can convenient- 
ly bear, then knot them together, increasing or diminishing 
gradually in size according to the end you have commenced 
at. Care must be taken that such a knot be used as there 
is no slip to. The safest I know of is formed thus: take 
the ends to be joined, and place them alongside one anoth- 
er, then take one end and make a single hitch by doubling 
it back and passing the end through the loop, which pull 
tight. Do the same with the reverse end, when by pulling 
on the line both will slip together, the strain having the 
tenderfty to lock the knot. After cutting off the surplus 
ends, take a few turns of very fine silk to whip them down, 
and the smallest quantity of varnish will add much to the 
