Chapt. vii. New way of tying a drop fly. 115 



drop gut tie a simple knot round the gut of the collar, 

 and let it slip down the collar till just over a knot or join 

 in it, and then pull tight. This is very neat and strong. 

 But I have still an objection to it. As you must always 

 tie your drop over a knot you must always tie it just over 

 a join in the line, or you must make a knot in your collar 

 on purpose for it, and practically it ends in this that you 

 almost always tie on your drop over the same knot, and 

 if you change often, you fray that spot in the collar and 

 weaken it. I would therefore suggest the knot shewn in 

 figure IV. plate four. Wherever in your collar you wish 

 to place your drop fly, tie, in the collar, the knot there 

 shewn, being careful only that E. is the end near the rod; 

 A. the end near the tail fly. It is very easily done by mak- 

 ing the loop C. and doubling the bit B. through it. The 

 line has not to be taken off the rod for the purpose, or the 

 ends passed through at all. It is done in a couple of 

 seconds by two turns. Having done this, and taking 

 care that your gut is thoroughly soft from soaking, so 

 that you may be sure it will not crack in knotting, pull 

 A. and B. so that loop C. becomes a tight knot. Put your 

 drop fly, with a simple knot at the end, through the loop 

 D., and then pull E. till D. also is absorbed into a tight 

 knot. Then pull your drop fly close up to its own knot, 

 and you are ready for action. 



What I consider the advantages of this knot are, that 

 it is tied as quickly, if not more quickly, than any other, 

 is as neat as the neatest of them; can be tied in any part 

 of the collar you like, so that you can have your drop 



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