SALMON FISHING WITH THE FLY. 1gI 
DRESSING LINES. 
The following recipe for dressing lines I can safely recom- 
mend. Mix equal parts of raw linseed oil and best copal var- 
nish, boiling until the mixture singes a feather (this should be 
done out of doors, owing to the inflammable nature of the so- 
lution). When cold put the line in to soak. A week will be 
enough for a solid plaited line, but if the line is hollow it should 
remain in much longer so as to allow time for the solution to 
fill up the hollow. When thoroughly saturated, a fine day 
should be taken advantage of, and the line put out to dry in 
the open air, stretched at its full length, fastened at both ends 
to two wooden posts, all the superfluous dressing being care- 
fully removed with the hand or a bit of cloth. It should not 
remain out, in its first stage of drying, in the rain, as a very few 
drops will spoil it, and the dressing will come off ; but when the 
outer coating is tolerably dry, which will be in about a week in 
warm weather, wet will not affect it, although it will be advisable 
not to leave it out in the rain at ahy time if it can be avoided. 
' In about a fortnight after it has been out the line should be. 
redipped in the solution, and the operation of stretching and 
removing the superfluous dressing repeated. This will be found 
sufficient, and nothing will remain but to allow it to dry. 
A line should not be used for at least six months after being 
dressed. It may be hung up indoors, but it will be advisable 
whenever the weather is favourable to put it in the open air, 
The best months for performing the operation of dressing are 
June, July, August, and September, the temperature being 
higher during those months than at any other time of the year. . 
Dressed lines can be dried in a very short time by mixing 
‘dryers’ with the solution, but there is the greatest objection to 
their use. The object of the wholesale manufacturer, owing to 
the great demand, is to get the operation performed as soon as 
possible, and therefore dryers are required ; but the consequence 
is, although lines dressed in a solution in which dryers have 
