HINTS ON HOME TACKLE-MAKING FOR 

 BOYS. 



BY J. HARRINGTON KEENE. 



There is no more interesting and absorb- 

 ing occupation during the spare hours, for 

 the young angler, than the home manufac- 

 ture of his tackle. 



Of course, few boys can hope to become 

 expert rod, reel, or fly-makers, nor with the 

 beautiful and comparatively cheap products 

 of skilled labor in the tackle stores is it nec- 

 essary that they should. But the mending of 

 a broken, or weakened, rod joint, the re- 

 placement of a missing guide ring, the whip- 

 ping of a hook on the snell, and the joining 

 of the gut by the right knots in a leader, 

 ought to be an accomplishment within the 

 reach of every young fisherman. In course 

 of his apprenticeship in these simple proc- 

 esses, the aspirant for "high hookship" 

 should proceed to the making of a passably t 

 good artificial fly — which properly considered 

 is an imitation as close as possible of the fly 

 or insect on which the trout and other fish 

 feed with readiness during the spring and 

 summer months especially, and even to the 

 middle of autumn in some localities. 



When he can successfully do this he may 

 consider himself a candidate for high hon- 

 ors in the "gentle craft" of angling. 



There are few tools required by the young 

 angler. At first only his nimble fingers are 

 needed for the simple tasks with which he 

 should begin. Until he reaches the art of 

 fly-tying, all the various work is performed 

 without the aid of apparatus or other tools. 

 Many fly-tiers make the best work entirely 

 with their hands, but the expert in the finest 

 flies for trout, bass and salmon fishing are 

 made in a vise, and by the aid of several im- 

 plements of delicate make which will be de- 

 scribed and illustrated later. The tools pre- 

 vent the too intimate handling of the feath- 

 ers, silk and fur and silver and gold tinsels 

 which go to make these jewels of fly-fishing. 

 With the greatest care it otherwise happens 

 011 occasions that the fly-tier musses his fly, 

 if he uses his fingers only. Hence the nec- 

 essity for the vise to hold the fly firmly in 

 the process of manufacture. 



For all other fishing tackle the fingers are 

 sufficient, and it is astonishing how deft 

 young hands become by practice. If, as I 

 am by experience sure, that the young boy 



can render his manipulating efficient and 

 handy, using no tools, there is an accomplish- 

 ment acquired which in after years may 

 prove extremely valuable. 



MATERIALS. 



There are certain materials, however, 

 which cannot be dispensed with when one 

 begins to make his tackle. A spool of scar- 

 let (opera scarlet is most used) sewing silk 

 of any good make is necessary. The best 

 make I know of is that of the Winsted, 

 Conn., Silk Co., for its fineness of texture 

 and strength. These qualities are indispen- 

 sable in the whipping silk one uses on so 

 many of the operations of rod and hook. 



HOW TO MAKE FISHERMAN'S WAX. 



A good and serviceable wax which is ap- 

 plied to the silk to make it adhere and ren- 

 der it stronger, and this may be made by 

 any boy as follows : Procure from the drug- 

 store or oil and paint seller, 2 ounces of the 

 best white rosin pulverized, % ounce of bees- 

 wax and J /x ounce of mutton tallow. This 

 latter may be obtained from the butcher and 

 must be melted and poured off clear before 

 it is added to the other ingredients. These 

 are melted together first and continued on 

 the fire or stove in an iron pot for fifteen 

 minutes, stirring the while with a stick till 

 thoroughly incorporated. The tallow is now 

 added, and the whole again stirred for an- 

 other fifteen minutes, when the mixture is 

 now to be poured on a pan of cold water, 

 and left a few moments to cool till it can 

 be handled with slightly greased fingers to 

 prevent sticking, and pulled precisely as one 

 pulls candy from hand to hand till it be- 

 comes, as candy does, a white plastic mass of 

 very clean and attractive appearance. Draw 

 it out in long pieces and immerse again in 

 cold water till quite cool. It may then be 

 easily broken into suitable pieces of half-inch 

 length for use. This wax does not stain the . 

 silk to which it is applied, and should be 

 kept in a little water till wanted. 



This wax is used thus : Take a small piece 

 between the finger and thumb of the right 

 hand and a length of silk in the fellow finger 

 and thumb of the left hand, and draw with 

 moderate speed the silk through the wax. 

 Repeat this several times till an even coating 

 is laid on the silk and you then are ready to 

 mend a broken rod or tie on a hook to a 



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