454 AMERICAN MSHES. 



We trust that these directions will enable any one to manufacture 

 for himself, after patience, practice, and perseverance. But we would 

 particularly advise any one so beginning to take a few lessons from a 

 practised hand, where he will see all the minute dodges we cannot de- 

 scribe, jf 



Finnegan of Xew York would doubtless give lessons in this beauti- 

 ful art, and, to judge by his flies, no one is more competent to do so. 

 They have that peculiarity about them that bespeaks them Irish, and 

 are most neatly manufactured, though without any appearance of stiff- 

 ness or eye-swing about them. 



Having described the method as practised by ourselves, we will for 

 ' the present pass over the different sort of flies in vogue, and show how 

 your gut casting-line is to be made. Select for salmon eight or ten of 

 the very strongest gut you can pick out, prove each link separately — 

 one end between your teeth, the other round a finger ; pull till it 

 breaks. Tit it again, and if it resist considerably put it into a basin 

 of water. Serve the rest in the same way, then take out two pieces 

 of about equal thickness; place the thick end of one to the thin of the 

 other, let them once lap an inch or two; holding them so, take the 

 short end of one, pass it over the other long end ; bring it underneath, 

 and, passing it twice through, the loop is formed. The same with the 

 other short end ; pull the knots tight and draw the two ends together ; 

 this knot never gives. Observe the following figures : 



Fig. 1. Fig. 2. 



Figure 2 is the single knot, but it is liable to slip. Keep adding 

 to these two links, either thicker at one end or thinner at the other, till 

 you get the required length of foot-line. To the thick end may be 

 added two or three lengths of double and treble gut, if you like it, it i 

 rather better. To twist gut, you must wet it and put one or two ii 

 each quill, with a stick to keep it from slipping, then plait one over th 

 other, drawing it out of the quills as you proceed. I have mentione 

 this, not because I thought it necessary — for I presume every schoo:- 



