TO MAKE A TAIL LINE.
In joining pieces of gut together to make a tail line, I think the
following joining knot, called the “sheet bend,” is the best, as the
knot is the smallest and neatest that can be made, and the more the
line is stretched, the tighter the knot becomes.
Make a loop with the left-hand end of the gut to be joined, (_a b_
figure below), and hold it between the finger and thumb of the left
hand. Then pass the end of the right hand gut to be joined through the
loop and under it; then round and under the two legs of the loop; then
over the _b_ leg of the loop; then under itself and out over the _a_
leg of the loop, as shown in the figure below. (See another mode of
joining pieces of gut for tail lines in the observations on bob-flies,
page 20.)
[Illustration]
Although, perhaps, scarcely necessary, I may state that the hair line
has a joining loop at the small end of it; the tail line a similar loop
at each end, and the fly a similar loop at the other end of the gut to
which it is attached. To attach the hair line to the tail line, insert
the loop of the hair line, then bring the other end of the tail line
through the loop of the hair line, and continue drawing it through
that loop until both loops meet and interlace each other. The fly is
attached to the tail line by interlacing the loops in the same way. By
reversing the operation, the lines and fly may be readily detached and
separated.
TO TIE ON A HOOK.
Take a sufficiency of strong silk, well waxed with shoemaker’s wax.
Flatten the gut to which you intend to fasten the hook; that is, about
as much of it as, when the gut is placed on the hook, will reach half
way down the shank. This may be done with the teeth or a pair of
pliers, and is designed to prevent the gut from all chance of slipping.
_Never omit this._ Lay the gut on the inside of the hook, and hold it
between the thumb and finger of the left hand. Begin by wrapping the
silk twice round the bare hook close to the end of the shank, then
pass the silk over both gut and hook, winding it tightly on till you
come near the bend; then fasten as follows:—When you come to within
three turns of the distance to which you mean the silk to extend, lay
the silk along the hook at _b_ (figure below), leaving the end hanging
down, take hold of the part of the silk _a_, and continue to wind it
on in the same way, but making it pass over the silk at _b_, as well
as over the gut and hook for three turns. Then take hold of the end of
silk _c_, and pull all tight; cut off the end of silk _c_, and it is
done. This is called the “invisible tie,” and is the neatest I know,
and the most secure.
[Illustration]
If you break a part of your rod, and have to splice it, fasten the
splicing by the invisible tie. The splicing should be done with strong
silk, well waxed with shoemaker’s wax.