GUT KNOTS. : 43 
that is required for any description of gut knotting. I should, 
perhaps, however, make an exception to this statement. In the 
case of drawn gut, and also in natural gut of exceptional 
fineness, the extreme limpness of the strands makes the single 
fisherman’s knot very liable to ‘draw’ if the ends are cut 
at all close, as they should be on the score of neatness. In 
such cases it is, therefore, better to make the knot with two 
double, instead of two single, half-hitches ; the end, that is, with 
which each half-knot is tied is passed twice instead of once 
round the central link and through the loop, in the manner 
shown in the engraving. This is the ‘double’ fisherman’s 
FIG. 2,—DOUBLE FISHERMAN’S KNOT. 
knot. With very fine gut the increase in the size of the knot 
is so small as not to be worth considering, whilst the increase 
of strength obtained is of importance. 
Except for salmon fishing, if a drop-fly is used it is not a 
bad plan to pass the end of the gut-link of the fly between the 
two strands of the joining gut and between the two halves of 
the knot before drawing the latter close. The drop-fly will 
pigs. 
= ‘ 
— 
4 
FIG. 3. FIG. 5. FIG. 4. 
DROP FLY ATTACHMENTS TOR TROUT CASTING LINES, 
then stand out at right angles to the casting line, a result which 
it is desirable to attain. A single knot tied in the link of the 
drop fly at the required distance outside the knot in the casting 
line prevents its slipping. 
