ADVICE FOR ANGLERS. 311 
Your feathers should, if possible, be fresh, with the pile un- 
broken, your furs and mohair uncut by moths, and your 
silk the strongest, yet the finest, that can be procured. Of 
course, many of your principal feathers will require to be 
purchased ; but if the fisherman is also a shooter, there are 
few game birds that will not afford him choice materials ; 
so that during autumn and winter, when his gun instead of 
rod is his companion, he can daily make additions to his 
treasures, which will serve him in pursuing the sister 
amusement. 
Every thing which makes deception more alluring should 
be resorted to by an angler; for, let his experience be ever 
so great, he will always find opportunities to regret his de- 
ficiencies. Where all depends so much upon chance, it is 
impossible to see the disadvantages under which you may 
frequently labor, or the awkward positions in which you 
may occasionally be placed, where it is absolutely neces- 
sary for the fisherman to put on an unusual and severe 
_ Strain to turn a hooked fish, so as to prevent his going over 
some surging fall, or down or up stream, inaccessible to the 
steps of the angler. Sometimes, of course, the loss of fish, 
or even fish and tackle, can not be avoided; but good, care- 
ful work and the best materials will frequently obviate so 
annoying an ordeal. However, having struck your fish, the 
tackle and your own coolness are generally responsible for 
the issue, and woe betide you if careless knot or indifferent 
tying should have been made in constructing your leader 
or fly. 
I would therefore advise all gentlemen to acquaint them- 
selves thoroughly with the method of their construction, 
for though they may not have time and ficlination to fol- 
low it as a pursuit, they may chance to be placed in posi- 
tions where their pleasure and the success of their expedi- 
tion may be entirely marred by want of this knowledge. 
